All set for the Oscar Speech.

OH. MY. GOD. is all I have been saying over and over again from the time I got up. Yaada Yaada called up first thing in the morning and began to shout at me for posting the blog and then going to blissfully sleep while the whole group was trying to undo what I did. A huge apology for my reckless behaviour. What else can I blame other than my childhood where I always had to do something rebellious and reckless to draw attention away from an over shadowing sister! ;) But man, did it feel good to read all your comments first thing in the morning complimenting me in the smarts department! ;) It was totally worth losing sleep over! Of course, Hd could nt understand why I was smiling like I have just won million bucks! :) Well, what does he know?

Thanks seems to be such a poor word to use right now. But Thanks Guys. You don't know how much this means to me. While the cat and mouse game was fun with a big F last night, when I saw the website today, I just died and went to heaven.

MayG - Where were you all this while? Though I know you from the comments you have left in my blog, you did nt have a blog until a couple of months back, did you? And to think you had a major hand in all this just blows me away. You are truly an amazing person. I salute!

The Riddlers! Where do I begin? Altoid, Gauri, Kiran and Sue - Whenever we meet, a drink/cofee/lunch/dinner/dessert or all of the above is on m, Deal? I was rolling on the floor laughing when I went to Sunitas blog and read the clue for Monas Blog. Gangster Ajit just called out to me "Mona Darling" and I swear I could hear his voice! Just because we are preggies, we don't want to be left out. We want our own riddles too! We demand it! So don your thinking hat again and come up with something, OK? Pretty please?

Suki darling - Your message for the moms was the most touching for me. You don't know how valuable it is. And I cant help but think how juvenile I was when I was your age! (Ah, darn! There I go. Its the beginning of my end. "When I was your age" indeed!) Whatever are you doing hanging around these baby blogs? :)

Timepass - Seeing the picture of Goddess Gharbarakshambikai unexpectedly amidst the other messages gave me goosebumps. My moms from that village and we believe our family is blessed because of this Deity. I have been to the temple loads of times when I was a child, with HD after we got married, while pregnant with Ashu and also when Ashu was a baby. So your message was extra special to me. Big Hug!

Tharini and Gauri - Hugs, hugs and more hugs to both of you for this wonderful, wonderful idea and boy, am I glad you are my friends! Where were you guys when I was in college? ;)

Dipali, Usha and Eves Lungs - Aadarsh Pranaams/Namaskarams. That you took time for us lot means so much to me. I truly hope that when I am at the place where you are now, with the same dignity. Its great to hang out with you guys, not to mention it makes us feel younger! ;)

Prema - I should have guessed you were involved in this too when I saw your comment. If I am the prime minister, you are the president lady!

Yaada Yaada and Utbt - Traitors both of you. One would nt even acknowledge that I was burning midnight oil to solve the riddle and go and ask how Ashu is doing! Who cares? And the other blood traitor, the one who cant keep a secret, who told the entire bay area that I was pregnant the minute I broke the news to her, who has always shared EVERYTHING with me would nt even help me when I asked her if it was 2As mom or 2Bs mom her riddle was referring to! True Death Eaters to the bone, both of them! And am I proud or what? ;)

And thanks each one of you. Will leave a comment in the shower blog. At this rate, my thank you speech will never end!

And whoever came up with that phrase??? Have nt heard of short logins and passwords? I shudder to think what if all 65 of you had decided to post the riddles! Thank god for small mercies! ;)

And you mom Trios - Poppins, Kodi and Moppet are going to be child prodigies and so are their siblings what with your code cracking abilities! I just filled in the blanks and without your excel sheets, I would nt have known where to begin! And the return rhymes are so cute, Maggie. Is there anything you guys CANT do? :)

And wow, the surprises dont seem to end. Thanks a bunch, DDMom. (Details later after the other MTBs join in!) It sure is a "keeper"! ;) Awesome idea. So what next? :))

ps.
And when can we join the discussion group? We want more dirt and theres also one on one thanking and bashing to be done!

Links:
Desi Girls Oscar Speech.
Poppins Moms Oscar Speech.
Moppets Moms Oscar Speech.
Kodis Moms Oscar Speech.
Lavs
Random Vignettes
Something to Say

So this is what is happening.

You guys seriously underestimated us curious cats, folks! Moppets Mom and Kodis Mom made excel sheets. Poppins Mom put together an impressive first draft and I sort of filled in the gaps. And with the ever enthu Lavs, heres our list of bloggers who are part of this FAIR GAME. Of course, we have to go a long way on the anagram and cracking the code. But we are happy with what we have achieved so far and can only be amazed by all the planning you guys have done and pulled this thing off. Hats off to you, really! And you thought I ll quit this soon and go to sleep. Sorry Kodis Mom, did some sleuthing on my own and figured we got the order a little wrong. Shobana has atlast posted. Tharini, Altoid and Anitha (Nikkis Mom) have rightly guessed our power and refrained from posting. The wimps! If only, I could keep my eyes open with match sticks and wait for them to post. But alas, the time zone plays the villain. (Drafted this post at 12 midnight and went to sleep)

2.00 AM - Ok, I am up for my loo break and the laptop found its way into my lap. After what seems like hours, I am almost there. Take it from here Kodis Mom. And once you go to sleep, Moppets Mom and Poppins Mom can take over. I am seriously tempted to crack the login and password using this phrase. But let me be a good girl and wait until tomorrow and conform to the protocol. Alright, Gauri? ;)

1. Utbt to Shobana - T
2. Shobana to Suki - H
3. Suki to DDMom - E
4. DDMom to Sujatha - S
5. Sujatha to altoid - Blank
6. Altoid to ?
7.Collection of Stars to Cee Kay - O
8. Cee Kay to Upsilamba - R
9.Upsi to Sunita - K
10.Sunita to Monica - A
11. Mona to Yaadayaada - R
12. YY to AA Mom - R
13. AA Mom to Kiran - Blank
14. Kiran to Daisy - I
15. Daisy to Mnamma - V
16. Mnamma to Asha - E
17. Asha to Choxbox - T
18. Choxbox to Tharini - Blank
19.Tharini - ?
20 Noon to Nisha - P
21. Nisha to Dot Mom - I
22. dot Mom to Birds Eye View - N
23. BEV to Trishna - K (The one with 6 blogs is Trishna. This really made us sweat. I formed the word then figured it!)
24.Trishna to Anitha - O
25.Anitha to ?
26Gauri to K3 - R
27. K3 to MM - B
28. Mad Momma - blank (Gotta be Ro based on the word. But Im not convinced.)
29.Rohini to Mummyjaan - L
30.Mummyjaan to CW - U
31.CW to Amrita - E
32.Amrita to Sue - G (Sue has a design blog with hubby. Duh!)
33.sue to Aargee - E
34. Aargee to Itchy - E
35 Itchy to Parul - I
36 PArul to Msytic Margarita - F
37 Mystic to Orchid - O
38 Orchid to Aditis Album - N
39 Aditis album - ?
40. Dipali to Yashodara - L (Nut as in Peanut? How did we miss this obvious clue and went in for the nutty siblings?)
41. Yashodara to nosh n reh - blank
42. noshreh to Silent one - Y
43. silent one to - W (Does Suki come here and Shobana points to someone else? Im stumped.)
44. Dee to Sahithis Mom- K
45. Sahithis Mom to Eves Lungs - blank
46.Eves Lungs to Compulsive Dreamer - N
47.CD to Rayshma - blank
48.Rayshma to Broom - E
49.Broom - W

The Stork Arrivet(h) Pink Or Blue Gee If Only W(e) Knew

Over and out. Will get up in the morning if Im still alive to celebrate! And would bow and touch all your feet if that was possible. Long time since I had so much fun! You guys are the best and I cant wait to see the site. And who ARE the riddlers? Awesome work!

Update: The Right List with the Links. Thanks to some super sleuthing by Poppins Mom, Maggie and Kodis Mom.

1. Utbt to Shobana - T

2. Shobana to Suki - H

3. Suki to DDMom - E

4. DDMom to Sujatha - S

5. Sujatha to Altoid - Blank

6. Altoid to Collection of Stars - T

7. Collection of Stars to Cee Kay - O

8. Cee Kay to Upsilamba - R

9. Upsilamba to Sunita - K

10. Sunita to Monica - A

11. Mona to Yaadayaada - R

12. Yaadayaada to AA Mom - R

13. AA Mom to Kiran - Blank

14. Kiran to Daisy - I

15. Daisy to Mnamma - V

16. Mnamma to Asha - E

17. Asha to Choxbox - T

18. Choxbox to Tharini - Blank

19. Tharini - Noon - H

20. Noon to Nisha - P

21. Nisha to Dot Mom - I

22. Dot Mom to Birds Eye View - N

23. Birds Eye View to Trishna - K

24. Trishna to Anitha - O

25. Anitha to Gauri - Blank

26. Gauri to K3 - R

27. K3 to Rohini - B

28. Rohini to Mummyjaan - L

29. Mummyjaan to Chronic Worrior - U

30. Chronic Worrior to Amrita - E

31. Amrita to MayG - G

32. MayG to Mad Momma - E

33. Mad Momma to Aargee - Blank

34. Aargee to Itching to Write - E

35. Itchy to Parul - I

36. Parul to Mystic Margarita - F

37. Mystic Margarita to Orchid - O

38. Orchid to Dipali - N

39. Dipali to YonEarthNot - L

40. YonEarthNot to NoshnReh - Blank

41. NoshnReh to Silent One - Y

42. Silent One to Sue - W

43. Sue to Dee - E

44. Dee to Sahithis Mom- K

45. Sahithis Mom to Eves Lungs - Blank

46. Eves Lungs to Compulsive Dreamer - N

47. Compulsive Dreamer to Rayshma - blank

48. Rayshma to Broom - E

49. Broom - W

WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?

At last count,

Parul
Itchy
Cee Kay
Birds Eye View
Nisha
Mona
Kiran
Gauri
Noon
Sunita
Y
Sue
Asha
Daisy
Broom

and any others I might have left out are playing FAIR GAME and driving me crazy!

So far, I have figured out that MTBs are Mother To Bes. Have I got that right, folks? And is it an online shower for the all the Preggies? If so, I am begging to be invited to the said blog. Happy? Please do so before I go bald. And if its nothing to do with me and I have put my big foot in my mouth thinking that the whole world revolves around me, I dont care! Just let me know. So that I can go make lunch and get my kid ready for school without refreshing Brooms page every 2 seconds.

By the way, I landed on Brooms blog first. Boy, was that confusing! So who started all this? Some brain, I tell ya! Come on, out with it.

Updating the list:
Sujatha
Sahithis Mom
Eves Lungs

Miss. Know-It-All.

So I was in school waiting to pick up Ashu. I was 10 minutes early and saw the kids playing in the yard. I did nt know how Ashu would react if she sees me, so I hid behind a car and was watching her. Another mom joined me and we both were talking and watching the kids. Then the teachers took the kids inside and they all came out 10 minutes later. I strapped Ashu in her car seat and was on the way home when Ashu asked, "Amma, what were you doing while I was in the School?" Wondering how thoughtful my darling little daughter is, I replied, "I was reading a book, Ashu." "No Amma! You were talking to an aunty. I saw you". "What? When did you see me?" "I saw you from the garden. You were talking to that aunty". Can you believe the cheek of her? I did nt even notice her noticing me. She has quietly gone inside and then has the cheek to ask me what I was doing in the first place to cross check. Kids! I'm sure my MIL will be so proud of her!! Its all in the genes, I tell ya! ;)

****

After we found out that the baby is a girl, I told Ashu that the Doctor has told me that the baby is a girl and to choose a girl name for the baby since Pinocchio is a boy name. But she refused. Later, I talked to her again and asked if Pinky and Pingu is OK? So she tells me, "Pinky is OK amma. But I will take care of Pinocchio. Put Pino in the cycle and go to school. Give Pino milk and hug Pino. I wont do anything for Pinky." If you mean it my dear, I don't even mind naming the baby Pinocchio officially! And do you see how very successfully she put an end to that debate?

****
One day she got curious and asked me, "Amma, your tummy will come out when Pinocchio comes out?" So I told her, No, the doctor will take the baby out of my tummy.
My sister who was with us in the room asked Ashu, "How will the baby come out Ashu?"
"From the hole."
What hole?
Ammas hole.
Wheres Ammas hole?
Inside Ammas pants.
Of course, I butted in and put a stop to this conversation before aunt and niece started pointing to certain parts! But how in the hell these kids infer all this? And the thing is even if I was given a million chances, I would nt have guessed what Ashu was going to say. Kids these days! Know-it-alls, all of them!

****
Yet another day when she was being really cute, I asked her as I have done a million times before, "Shall I eat you up Ashu? You are so cute!" As always, she screamed, NO!! I asked her why not.
So she says, "Dont eat me Amma. Because I am real". (Naan Nijam)
"You are real? Not a doll?", asked I.
"No amma, I am real".
"No you are not. You are a doll Ashu".
"No amma. I am not a doll. I am real".
"How do you know you are not a doll like the dolls you play with?"
"Like Appa is real, like Amma is real, I am also real" says she!
I am speechless, of course!

****

Back to School.

After the really long break, Ashu is going to school without a fuss. There! I thought I would never utter that statement in my life! Before the US trip, she used to cry even after a 3 day break. So I was really worried how shes going to cope after the 6 weeks vacation especially after having so much fun being with her grand parents, uncle and aunt. I was talking about school, her teachers and friends all the time during the vacation and made sure she did nt forget anything. But then, I really wonder how much what we do and say matters. I suspect that these kids have made up their minds about EVERYTHING even while in the womb and are only playing along as if its all in the parenting! Parents like lawyers only exist to find loop holes in the already sound system and make things worse! Ok, enough gyaan for the day.

Anyway, I was almost in tears on Monday expecting the worse when I went to drop her at school. But of course, she went into her classroom excitedly, said bye to me and held hands with Miss.M. I came out disbelieving my own eyes. She chattered non stop when I picked her up about all the things she did in school. Miss M even said that she mentioned Pinocchio in class. Well, whatddayaknow?! The whole week was perfect. Due to the jet lag, she was getting up very late in the morning and so she was nt sleepy in the afternoons while going to school. That really helped. But shes back to her usual routine now and lets see how this week goes. One can never take anything for granted especially when one is a parent, is it not?

The Pregnancy Diaries.

Is it just in Switzerland? I never had to be with a full bladder for the ultrasounds. In fact, every time I go for a check up/ultrasound, the first thing I am asked to do is to use the restroom.

There are wide screen plasma TVs hung on the wall where you get to see the avocado size baby sneezing in 3D. In color. (More like Sepia tone, actually!)

Not the Zurich hospital, but the hospital in Basel where I went for pre natal check ups and labor last time is a beautiful place. The lobbies are like that of a 5 star hotel, the facilities first rate, very good care and very friendly Midwives and Doctors. They are nt fluent in English but they try. Though the current hospital is not as huge as the previous one, I am satisfied with the care so far. I hope the labor rooms are good too.

The hospital is very close to home. Hd was held in a meeting during the last check up and I drove to the hospital by myself along with Ashu in less than 10 minutes without getting lost! That's a first! :)

Ashu sat near me on the bed when the Doctor was doing the ultrasound and screamed "Pinocchio baby" as soon as the baby appeared on the screen. "Look at the head Amma", she chipped in. The Doctor was quite amused. May be I should take her into the labor room instead of Hd. She sure seems to know a lot more than him!!

I gained about 7 kilos during the last pregnancy and promptly lost the same the very day I delivered the baby. Its another issue that I gained around 10 kilos in the next year!! The trend has been similar so far. I lost some weight in the first trimester and started gaining in the second. Of course, I am overweight enough to carry quadruplets! But we are just talking about pregnancy weight gain, are nt we?

I threw up only once during the last pregnancy and that was when the plane I was traveling on landed in Zurich from Barcelona. Hd was also in the verge of getting sick because of the turbulent flight, so no blaming my pregnancy then. And this time while coming back from San Diego by car. Blame it on the over ripen banana that Ashu was eating. Ewww....

Other similarities:
Snow Sledging while pregnant - Check
A long haul flight to India/US and back to Swiss - Check
Sight seeing to Barcelona/Mexico - Check
Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Check, check and check. (And this time, a ship too.)
6 weeks of pampering with Moms food - Check
Cramps in the calf muscle while sleeping - Check
And oh, Girl baby - Check! :)

We are Home.

Arrived safely in Zurich three days back and still unpacking. At the SFO airport, Ashu hugged, kissed and waved bye bye to thatha, paati, perima and peripa and walked into our gate without a glance backwards. I was the one on my tippy toes, waving to them and mouthing byes byes with a heavy heart. After all, Im the one who has to cope with the little devil once we land! We slept through our flight and got up only just before landing in London. We were in a three seater and the man sitting by the window commented how cute Ashu is and said that little girls make the best companions. When Ashu sang the alphabet song, he asked "she already knows her ABCs?" What more could a mother ask for? :)

As soon as we landed in London, Ashu wanted to know where her father was. I told her we were in London and have to take another flight to Zurich. So she says "Amma, lets see the Queen and get a present for Appa". (Reason: Hd got her a pencil box and a paddington bear from his last trip to London. And of course, the pussy cat went to London to visit the QUEEN. Get it?) Even though its supposed to be a short flight, there was a delay and we were stranded in the runway for more than an hour and I just could nt wait to get home. As luck would have it, there was this unsmiling guy sitting near Ashu this time and gave her a stink eye when she dropped her stuffed bear near his shoe. Well, it takes all sorts! We both were exhausted by the time we landed in Zurich. Hd was standing on the other side of the glass wall near the baggage area and Ashu did a tribal dance seeing him. I went to get some assistance to collect my bags. Within 10 minutes, we were out and were group hugging and then stuffing the huge suitcases in our small car. 30 minutes later, home sweet home! We are still not out of jet lag. Ashus school reopens after the Easter break tomorrow and hope everything goes well. Its raining birthday parties here and got 3 parties to attend from next week. Got to plan Ashus party too. Life goes on...

Update on Ashu at 2 Years and 11 Months.

Yes, my baby girl is just one month short of the Big Three.

And the biggest update is of course that shes going to be a big sister very soon. To another baby girl. YES, we found out that its a GIRL yesterday when I had an ultrasound done here. My sister had accompanied me for the ultrasound and we both were grinning like idiots when the Dr said its a girl. It was a very, very special moment to share with my sister.

Ashu is in denial that Pinocchio is a girl. When I asked her to pick a girl name for the baby, she said "I thought its a boy amma. I cant choose a girl name. Lets call the baby Pinocchio only". (Naan Boy nu ninaichunten. Ennaala girl name solla mudiyalai. Pinocchio ne koopidalaam) She said it in a very sad and disappointed tone. Just you wait, Ashu! Sisters rule! :)

As always, shes the happiest when we shes amidst her grand parents, aunt and uncle. My mom takes care of the food department. My dad tells her stories, takes her out for walks and gardening. Pema and Pepa do everything in between. The other day my sister was asking her how much she likes all of us. And out of the blue, Ashu started rating us. She gave 11 for Pepa and Paati. 10 for Hd and me. 5 for Pema, Thatha and Pinocchio. Oh, 5 for her brand new doll "Santhu". (A gift from Chula!)

Yesterday, she found my Bils tripod standing in a corner and started taking imaginary photos with it. She would say 1,2,3,4 and make a click sound and press a circular button in the tripod. She asked my dad to model for her and gave him loads of instructions. Sit, stand, lie down on this towel, ... Then she brought an empty cup and said shes going to throw water on his head. "It will look beautiful, Thatha" was her explanation. So my dad pretended that he was cold and asked her to take the picture fast as the camera was rolling. "I have put the camera in pause", came the reply. From then on, my dad just shut up and listened to her!

One minute, shes sharing toys and playing peacefully with other kids, the next minute shes fighting over a toy and screaming her lungs out. Its really getting on my nerves. But then, I cant do much other than distracting her and solving the problem temporarily. How much ever I lecture her, the minute shes sleepy or hungry, she throws the worst tantrums. Chula is both her best friend and worst enemy. Shes all buddy buddy one minute and the next, she does nt want to give her a hug. We all had gone to the Childrens Discovery museum the other day. Ashu had fun. But towards the end, the museum had a new temporary entertainment for a few minutes when Ashu and Chula were wrestling on the floor fighting for the same block even though there were hundreds of identical blocks there!! Nevertheless, its great to see them bond. My mom and Utbts mom went to school together in a small town. My Sis and Utbt went to college together. My Bil and Utbts husband were colleagues for a while. I am of course the (not so)little sister Utbt never had. (Are nt I, dear?:) And now, Chula and Ashu. Wow, that makes me feel so.... OLD!

I have always wondered how mothers can be so blind when it came to their kids. How can they let their kids treat them badly and still love them? How it seems as if the kids can never hurt them? How they can still love their kids the same irrespective of everything they do? (And its all based on how badly I treat my own mother.) And I have got my answer. Ashu says stuff like "You go Amma. Im playing with Thatha." "You go to Zurich Amma. I ll be in the US with Pema." "You go away Amma, I ll go to India with Paati." And it does nt hurt one bit as I thought it would. And then suddenly, she comes running out of a room calling "Amma, Amma" and gives me a hug. Then runs back to the room to continue playing. Its such a wonderful feeling to be loved like that. So pure. So "in the moment". I ll always remember the twos as the "terrific twos" just for moments as precious as these. Hit me with the Three, Girl. I'm all yours! :)

Busy doing nothing.

Social life in Bay Area is hectic. I am more busy here than Zurich and Bangalore put together. There are always parties to attend, Athais visiting, a grahapravesam to dress up, friends dropping in, calling up college friends who live in the US, cousins to visit, restaurants to check out...

On Saturday, there was a pot luck dinner at Sundars place. Loved their newly done up house. His older daughter was being the perfect little hostess. Such a sweet little thing. The Little one was very quiet and observant. I wonder if Sundar is making up things in his blog about the kids! There were at least 8 bloggers including me. I was all teeth to meet the Blog Celebrity Balaji of Bbthots. Did you buy my "acting cool" part, Balaji? ;)

Thanks for all your lovely wishes folks! Updates on pregnancy and Ashu coming up soon.

The Big Three O and an even Bigger News!

While I was thinking how to make people forget that I am turning 30 today, I had this brilliant idea. To announce that I am PREGNANT. So yes, I am pregnant and the baby is due on July 5th. Just when I was ready to share the news with you lot a month back, Kodis Mom broke her news, and before that news could sink in, Poppins Mom and Moppets Mom came out with their news. And Desi Girl gave into the pressure as well. People have been REAL busy now, have nt they? ;) So like a good girl, I did nt steal their thunder. But let me grab the opportunity before another round of pregnancy news hits us.

I am 23 weeks pregnant and doing good. Realizing I am pregnant only when people remind me. The pregnancy has been very similar to the first one so far. No nausea, no sickness, no weight gain, ... And to think I was born with motion sickness and gaining weight is like breathing to me. Pregnancy is the only time people comment on how I have nt gained weight and it does wonders to my ego. Don't know of its a boy or a girl. Last time, the Dr could nt tell me as the baby's position was nt right and its the same this time too. So all my bets are on that this is a girl as well. Two girls are my first choice. A girl and a boy come a close second. So its a win win situation, so to speak. And since its confirmed that I'm not carrying twins, that's one heart attack saved for Hd.

Ashu knows that theres a baby in my tummy. "The baby is blowing bubbles inside Ammas tummy" is her favorite statement and repeats it all the time to anyone who will listen. She thinks its a boy. She has christened the baby "Pinocchio" and all of us have got used to calling the baby the same. So heres to Pinocchio, a special welcome post on a special day.

Blog Meets, Board Games and Bye Byes.

Last night we went to Utbts house for dinner. With 20 adults and 10 kids, it was a full house. Sundar, Utbt, DDmom and I took 5 minutes to talk about blogs and decided to declare it as a Blog Meet. So there! We had a blog meet! :)

****

Ashu was quite sick since we returned from the cruise. She threw up a lot, refused to eat anything and gave us all a scare. But shes recovering now. Hope she starts eating fine soon.

****

As it has become a tradition now, Sis and Bil have introduced us to yet another addictive board game. (Click here and here to read the two posts I wrote on board games earlier.) This time it is Power Grid. Yet again, we have nt played any of the other games we played like crazy last time. Power Grid is an amazing game. We bid on power plants, buy resources, and provide electricity to our cities. Its all fun until players start encroaching into your own city and you have to pay double the money to build a network in your own city. Just like real life, huh? :) Its hilarious to see my mom stock up on resources because its cheap and then have no money to build houses and my dad like a true banker has a huge amount of cash at the end of the game even if he does nt have one house to his name! Guess people will be people after all!

****

As expected, my dad and I are like cats and dogs most of the time. He cant understand how I can stuff myself with food while my daughter is starving. He cant understand how I can still continue to play Power Grid with a sick daughter on my shoulders. I cant understand how dare he undermine my role as a mother. Still more baffling is the fact that I'm getting flak from a guy who hit sis and me when we were kids. Go figure! But of course my sis and dad are the top 2 persons in Ashus chart. I taste a little bit of victory when Ashu insists on coming to me rather than my dad after I yell at her for some misbehaviour. But then she has also learnt to say "Amma is scolding me" and runs to my mom or dad whenever I raise my voice. The little brat!

****

Hd left for Zurich early in the morning today. Poor guy, felt awful like a school going kid after a long vacation. It has been non stop partying and loads of fun for the past 2 weeks. My cousin who is like a little Bro to me and whom I'm very close to is also visiting from Canada. So the house was packed. Now with Hd gone and the cousin leaving next week, its going to be dull even though we ll still be 5 adults and one kid in the house. Cant imagine how I'm going to feel once I go back to Zurich. *sulk*

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The Grand Reunion.

If all of you are jealous about my vacation and the family reunion, wait till you hear about the vacation inside this vacation and the mega grand reunion. We are just back from a luxury cruise! To Mexico and back! Four fun days! 12 Adults and 3 kids! My Bils brothers family and his sisters family who live in different parts of the US and his parents who are visiting all flew to San Diego from their respective homes while the 7 of us drove to San Diego from here. Took us almost 10 hours what with frequent susu breaks for Ashu and peak traffic time in LA. Met Bils family there and the next day we all went to the harbor. This was our ship - Carnival Elation. I cant begin to describe the feeling when I first saw the ship. It was AMAZING. Cracking the cheesiest Titanic based jokes, we entered the ship and found our rooms. Sis and Bil had a surprise as soon as they opened their door. Hd had called Carnival the previous day and arranged for the room to be decorated specially for their anniversary. So we started with a bang. Then we were all off to explore the ship and were simply awed by just the size of it. The swimming pool, the Jacuzzis, the huge casino, the 24 hour buffets, elaborate formal dinners, the view, the music, the magic show, stand up comedy and dance shows in the evening,... It was truly a different world. We started on Thursday and reached Cabo San Lucas on Sunday morning. We had till 4 pm to see Cabo. It was a beautiful place. We whale watched, we para sailed, we went on glass bottom boats, sighted Seals, posed with Pelicans, bought souvenirs,... and caught the last boat back to the ship in the nick of time.

We dressed up every evening for dinner. Took amazing portraits almost everyday. Felt like celebrities. We had our own personal waiter for all the 4 nights. We ate fine food and mouth watering desserts. Sis and Bil cut cake amidst much fan fare. Ashu was in a daze the whole time. Is this a hotel or a ship amma? Is this US amma? Wheres the Captain Amma? Wheres the fish Amma? She would nt go to the Children's camp there. She was with us the whole time and had fun with the other 2 kids. With 12 adults, there was nt a shortage for people to baby sit the kids. We showered Sis and Bil with gifts and cards. We all wore matching personalized T shirts with Sis and Bils name on it. We made them exchange garlands and rings. We did the whole nine cheesy yards!!! It was fun, fun and more fun the whole time. My best moment was after a dip in the pool and soaking in the jacuzzi, lying down on the deck chair and looking at the passing clouds. It will stay in my memory forever. I had absolutely no care in the world. Everyone who mean the world to me were around. Perfect bliss.

Now we are back and still talking about the cruise. Time did fly. We also spent half a day at Sea World in San Diego and Ashu was thrilled to see Shamu. Met a very good friend of mine after almost 8 years, stayed a night at her place and met her absolutely cute toddler. Thanks a lot for accommodating all of us, M. You are the best! Now we are back in the Bay Area and Ashu is down with a cold. I would have been surprised if she were nt what with so many changes in the past one week. Hope it does nt become worse though. Crossing fingers.

ps.

Off I go to find out what has been happening in the blog world for the past one week. I missed you all.

We are a H.A.P.P.Y. family!

I am in the U S of A. At my sisters. With Sis & Bil. With Mom & Dad. With Hubby & Ashu. Needless to say, we are having a blast. Ashu and I left Zurich on Friday and landed here without any glitch. (Did nt get the checked in Car Seat. But thankfully the airlines loaned us one.) Mom and Dad were mighty upset that Hd did nt come with us for the family reunion. They did nt know that he was arriving the next day. So when he landed on Sat night, there was lots of screaming and shouting. Sunday was our parents anniversary and we had a small bash. Utbt and family arrived with the Guava cake I have heard so much about since Chulas birthday and drooling. (Every bite was heavenly!) But the real reason for this sudden reunion plans is not until the first of March. My Sister and Bils 10th wedding anniversary. More details later! ;)

I have nt seen Ashu since we arrived. Shes the happiest since we left India in September. As if the doting grand parents are nt enough, she has the combined attention of my Sis and Bil as well. So shes ecstatic. The choicest restaurants in Bay area along with my moms cooking - Hds idea of heaven! And Im with my family. Need I say more? :)

ps.

For another six weeks, all the photos courtesy of my Bil and his camera. And here I am compelled to add that Hd forgot the one thing I asked him to bring with him. MY CAMERA. If I was nt so happy, I would have murdered him.

The one where Ashus tells a story.

Yesterday was special. Yes, Hd returned from India in the afternoon but something happened in the morning. Ashu told a story.

Just the other day, I was talking to my dad and telling him about Ashu and how she has nt reached the stage where she spins stories from her imagination. I was big on telling stories when I was a child and people within one mile radius would just run helter skelter if I ever say, "Naan oru kadhai solren". (I ll tell a story) My sister would shudder at the thought of hearing me tell a story. I remember my uncle had recorded some of my story telling in audio cassettes and I listened to them when I was a little older. The whole family knew about my story telling fascination. Even when I grew up and stopped talking altogether, relatives would still talk about the time I used to tell stories and roll around the flooor laughing remembering the silly anecdotes. So the child in me was really looking forward to hear Ashu spin tales. So far no luck. She would nt even repeat the Crow and the Vadai story even after hearing it a thousand times.

Yesterday something triggered her and she started talking about this wolf. Wolf irundhudhaa? Adhu jungle ku pochu... is how the story began. (There was this wolf. It went to the jungle...) And then the wolf met this lion and asked "Ennoda play panna variyaa?" but the lion said "I dont want to play with you". Then the wolf met the tiger and asked the same but the tiger said "I don't want to play with you". Then it met a bear, elephant, monkey, snake, rabbit, puppy, hippo, giraffe, ... and everyone refused to play with the wolf. She told the "I don't want to play with you" in exactly the same tone how I say it while reading the little tiger book where the tiger would say "I dont want to go to bed". I was in the midst of making lunch. I switched off the stove and came and sat down on a chair to listen to her. I was so excited and wondered how the story is going to go. She walked in circles around the dining area and told the story without any interruption. She did nt pause even for a second. Remember how Kamal Hassan would narrate some nonsense walking non stop in circles and driving us crazy in the movie Guna? It was exactly like that. I was half expecting her to say, "Abhirami, Abhirami" in the end!! So the story kept on going. She would say things like "Then the wolf looked up a tree." and with an excited tone "And what was on the tree"? As if she knew. She has nt even made up her mind on what it is thats going to be on the tree until she asked the question. Then she would say, "A snake". I played the part of a good audience and gasped. But she was quick to add "a good snake. Not bad boy". Then the wolf met an owl and cried and told the owl that no one is playing with him. (Why she chose owl as the agony aunt? Why did nt she let the wolf ask the owl to play with him? - thats your homework for today!!) By the time the wolf came to the owl, she has named around 20 animals already. I was wondering what shes going to do now. Then the owl said "Come on. I ll take you to your friends who will play with you". And the story began again. Except now all the animals said "Ok. I ll play with you". 25 minutes had gone by now and we were nowhere near the end. I even dared to interrupt her and ask "So when "the end" will come Ashu" and she sternly said, "Tomorrow". Ok! I thought so too! I switched on the stove again and continued the cooking while making the necessary comments to her story. Then the story took new turns and she started including things in the house like her house slippers, the coasters, the plant, etc... and suddenly she said "The End." Before I could break into an applause, she began ANOTHER story. This time with a Bee. And even Pillayaar showed up in this one. But mercifully, this was a short one. I gave her a big hug and told her that the stories were fantastic. She was all flushed by the whole exercise. 40 minutes of non stop walking in circles and non stop talking while the little brain worked over time. Who would nt be? I cant wait to unleash her to my sister! *evil laughter*

ps.
I Don't Want to Play with You starring The Little Wolf and A Bee Story with a special appearance by Pillayaar are copyrights of Ashu and All Rights Reserved! ;)

Fun day at the play park.

Ashus school was off the whole last week. Ski break!! Why did nt I go to such schools? More holidays than working days. Affectionate teachers. Amazing library. Sigh! We did nt do anything interesting last week. Some regular shopping, some craft projects at home and the time flew. Then suddenly Hd had to leave for India on Sunday on an official trip and hes back only on Wednesday. He has travelled before but never to India. I became all sad and teary and did everything I could do to stop him from going. Did nt work! After sending him off early in the morning on Sunday, spent the day sulking and in the night I locked the bedroom door and blocked it with a chair for good measure. Kept the cordless phone and mobile handy. Hugged Ashu and went to sleep. That is so uncharacteristic of me. Im usually bold and quite reckless. I don't even check the doors and windows before I go to sleep. But this time the feeling that Hd is not in London or Amsterdam which are a few hours away but in INDIA which is a good 12 hours away gave me the jitters. What if the burglar knew it too? ;)

School was off today too and it was bright and sunny. I said enough was enough and set out with Ashu to an indoor play area. Its quite small but enough to keep Ashu occupied for hours. We had an early lunch and were there at 12 noon. Ashus face brightened up and she started climbing here and there and everywhere. Bouncy castles, trampolines, slides, obstacles, mini go carts, cycles,... Its any child's dream. (sigh again!) I had taken a book with me. ("The space between us" by Thrity Umrigar. Looks to be a interesting read.) I finished only 7 pages because I could nt take my eyes off my daughter. What to do? She was squealing with laughter, making friends and running around. I had to look! I found out today that Ashu is nt a leader or a loner. She wants company and has to be told what to do. First Ashu followed a 3 year old girl who was slightly taller than her. They became friends fast and Ashu was following her like a puppy and doing everything she was doing. The other girl was helping Ashu whenever she could nt climb a level on her own. It looked so sweet. Then Ashu became a pro. But Ashu also knows what she does NOT want to do and is not tempted to do it. Nor can she be coerced. For example, she was scared of the spiral tunnel slide. She wont get into any tunnel from which she cant see the other side. So while a straight tunnel slide is OK, a spiral slide is a big NO. That's the way she is. I ve encouraged her before but she strictly refused and I did nt push. So whenever the other girl turned towards the spiral slide, Ashu would change her direction and go the other way and the other girl will follow her. I noticed it after she did for the fourteenth time!! :) After an hour, we took a snack break and Ashu pointed at the chocolate brownie and said she wanted it. This is the girl who NEVER eats any snack. But I bought for her anyway wetting my lips in anticipation. But then little girls exist to prove you wrong. She wolfed down 3/4th of the piece in jiffy, sipped some apple juice and said "Enough Amma". I had tears in my eyes.(Then what? The cake was so good and all I get is a quarter of it???)

We went back to the play area but the little girl had left much to Ashus disappointment. She tried to play by herself for a while. But very soon, she found another target. Sisters - 8 and 3. She clinged to them and they had no way but to include her. The 8 year old was so sweet. She was helping Ashu more than her own little sister and the trio were having a blast. Of course, Ashu would split whenever they came near the spiral slide. This once, the big girl said "Komm mit mir" and kept Ashu on her lap and slided down the tunnel. Ashu had a "I was right when I did nt want to go on this one" look when she came down. (I tried it later with her too. It was a little claustrophobic and a bit scary!) The three girls went on the mini go kart half a dozen times. Neither of the younger girls can go on their own, so the big girl went triples each time. I saw her begging her dad and mom for money for the go kart and I sponsored a couple of rides too. But the three were totally addicted and the girls father and I had to literally drag the girls out of there. Then the older girl split and the two younger ones held hands and played together. It was so cute to watch. Ashu of course totally forgot about me and once in an hour will make eye contact to check if Im looking! I had told myself that I would nt ask Ashu to leave. She can play as long as she wanted. But after 4 hours, I could see she was hungry and totally tired. I asked if she wanted to go home. She said NO and with a renewed energy, found another 3 year old and the three started going around the enclosures like hamsters in a cage. Then she found another 6 year old and copied her and did everything she did for a while. (Building a castle with soft blocks) Then came to me and asked me to take her in the spiral slide. I did. By 5pm, I came to my senses and told Ashu that the place was closing up and we had to leave. Thankfully, she obliged and slept in the car even before I left the parking lot. So today was fun. I learnt so much about my daughter. Now we are off to bed. Hope Hd does nt decide to surprise and show up couple of days early. Im planning to take the kitchen knife with me to the bed tonight! ;)

ps.
Cursing myself for leaving the camera at home. There were so many kodak moments in the play park today. :(

Today's Special.

This is what Ashu(ahem!) made for her father for Valentine's.
Inspired from here.


And this is what I made. Like they say, the way to a mans heart...

Recipe here.


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, FOLKS! Spread the Love! :)

Ashu's school routine.

Continuing the previous post, here's our schedule everyday. Hope it helps Noon.

Ashu is in a programme for kids between 2 1/2 to 3 1/2. Almost all of them will be continuing their pre KG in the same school this year. I enrolled here because the transition will be smooth when she starts Pre KG and I don't have much options in Zurich for English schools anyway! Her class is from 1 pm to 3 pm four days a week. At first, I was really not so keen as Ashus nap falls dang at the same time and nobody messes up with her nap time. Nothing whatsoever will keep her away from her precious sleep. But fresh out of options, I decided to try it. I wanted her to quit the afternoon naps anyway. Add to this that the school is 30 mins drive. So she has her lunch at 11.30. (Rice and vegetables with Rasam and a cup of yogurt.) We finish by 12. Then we get ready and leave home at 12.30. We reach the school at 12.55. Most of the time, she does nt go to sleep. So shes OK. The days she goes to sleep in the car, shes all cranky and grouchy when I leave her in class. But the teachers tell me that she is OK soon afterwards. So to reply to the anons comment in my previous post, theres no time to let her take a nap in the morning. (She gets up at 7 am.) After school, I pick her up at 3 pm and drive back home. 99% of the time, she sleeps in the car and I come home and put her in the bed. She continues to sleep until 5.30 pm or even 6.30 pm sometimes. So eventually, her night sleep time has been postponed to 9.30 pm instead of 8.30 pm. That is, I start reading to her at 9.30. She sleeps anytime between 10 to 10.30. I am OK with this schedule for now since its hassle free. But from August, she ll be going to school in the mornings and the schedule will obviously change. The disadvantage to this schedule is the weekends. She will be active and alert until 4 pm and go to sleep after that which means bed time is at 11pm. And on those days when she does nt go to sleep in the car while coming back home, she goes to sleep at 5 pm and screws up the routine. But then, I need some thing to worry about right? ;)

And coming to the subject of Tamil, I think I ll go back to India in a year. I'm counting on that actually. But is there absolutely no one whose kids talk in their mother tongue while living in a foreign country? Is that really impossible? Of course, none of my friends school going kids talk in their mother tongues either. So what happens when you go on vacation to India? Do they speak there? Are the grand parents and other relatives able to understand their English? Or do the parents have to translate? Does it bother you people? Or do you get used to it after a while? Please do tell and let me get used to the idea. Is my wish really hopeless?

More about School.

So hows school going for Ashu? Long since I updated on her school saga. After the 3 weeks break in December, Ashu took a couple of days to adjust again. She was crying so much on the first day after the school reopened that I just wanted to jump in front of an oncoming car. Give me a break girl! Not back to square one again. But thankfully she was ok after 2 days. That does nt mean she went happily but at least she was nt crying. Miss M and Miss S told me that she is nt her usual cheery mood and is very quiet. When I asked Ashu she said, "I was sad, Amma." Well, that explains everything!!

She has started talking about school much more than before. "B hid in the play house today", "A came with his dad instead of his mom today", "L did nt come to school today. Hes asleep at home with his Amma", "S got the Nemo book today from the library", "Miss M has a cold so shes taking rest today", "Miss S drank tea from a cup", "G brought muffins for everybody. Today is her birthday", "L's nose was running today but he did nt wipe it at all",... Oh, how do I explain the feeling of listening to her? Its wonderful to hear her stories. No whining, no cribbing, no complaining, no gossiping,... Just plain facts seen through a 2 year olds eyes. Theres so much to learn from kids, I tell ya!

Miss M said that Ashu loves singing and is very cheerful and active. She clearly knows what she wants to do and what not. She understands every word of what they are saying and is talking in English a lot more now. Really trying to make sentences. Shes talking a lot at home too and Im panicking already. Two hours of school 4 days a week and less than 3 months, little Missy has already started talking in English. Though Im proud of her accomplishment, it honestly scares me to death. What if she stops talking in Tamil! *shudder* This in spite of Hd and me not talking in English at all at home. (Its not something we do for Ashus sake. We always talk in Tamil at home anyway!) I can only cross my fingers.

After a month, she is back to her usual self, going to school happily. Since her school is in the afternoon and she goes with a full lunch, she goes to sleep in the car before we reach school. And then cries a lot when I wake her up and leave her in class. But the days she does nt go to sleep, she happily waves bye bye to me and settles in class. So Im trying hard to distract her and tell her a story and keep her awake until we reach school. On Friday, she did nt go to sleep luckily and when I left her in class, she swallowed hard and her eyes filled up and she looked at me. I knew the feeling. I had the same damn feeling every single day I went to school and college. I kissed her and told her I ll be back and left her in class. She said bye to me and started to talk excitedly to Miss M. Of all the things, she had to inherit this "starting trouble" from me? God help her and me!

A walk through the clouds.

This is one interesting tag Dot Mom and Tharini have set up on me. Unlike them, I rarely read my own posts except when I am specifically looking for something. Somehow reading my archives embarasses me. Did I actually write that? - kind of a feeling. But at other times, my eyes fill with tears when I read about Ashu when she was a baby. As if Im reading somebody elses writing. So let me go and dig my archives now to complete this tag.

"Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given (family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like). Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better."

Let me begin with Maatha, Pithaa, Guru, & Dheivam.

Family - The posts I wrote on my mom on my birthday and my dad on Fathers day.

Friend - I ll cheat by saying my sister is my best friend (& Guru) and link this post I wrote on my sisters Birthday.

Myself - How I rediscovered God after becoming a mother.

Love - Strangely, I have nothing on this subject. But theres one post about the love of my life and how my love grew for him after this particular incident. Check it out. (Though cant say Hd would say the same about me!)

Anything I like - This might sound strange. But I love this post of mine on creepy crawlies and makes me all nostalgic about the good old carefree days and ache for them but at the same time puts a smile on my face. :)

Now to tag 5 people.
Inbavalli and Neera, my two new blog buddies.

Sundar, Gauri, and Cee Kay, my not so new blog buddies. Go dig!

Deep Sea.

I totally missed doing a post on Ashus first something in the excitement of getting my driving license. (Btw, my Swiss license all proper with a decent looking photo of mine came by post and I also got back my Indian driving license, so yippee! ) So 2 weeks back, on a last minute impulse we decided to drive to Lucerne to gorge on some idlies and dosas in a South Indian restaurant there and also take Ashu by the beautiful lake and the picturesque wooden bridge. But it got too cold so after walking for a little while, we decided to catch a movie in the Imax theatre. I always wanted to take Ashu to the cinemas and see how she reacts the first time. Imax seemed to be the right choice and off we went. "Deep Sea" was the current running movie and it was only 40 minutes long, ideal for Ashus attention span. But only when we got there, it occured to us that the commentary will be in German. But I was ok with it. Anyway, Ashu is not going to follow the commentary. But Hd decided to wait in the cafe pretending that he had to make a call. Yeah right! The man is stingy enought to save 16 Francs. But me, I would nt trade Ashus first experience at the movies for anything! So off went mom and daughter to the dark interiors. Ashu was all puzzled at the environment and sat beside me in a chair wondering what was going on. Then the screen lit and the dolby effect kicked in. The lady at the ticker counter had warned me that they don't recommend children under 5 to watch as it is too loud for kids. I thought about the times infants and toddlers watched "Virumaandi" when we lived in Basel and the family of six with 2 boys at the age of 5 and 2 who were at the late night show of "Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu" in Bangalore. I dont mind, I told the lady smugly!

We watched a few trailers and when there was an avalanche of snow falling down, Ashu held my hands tightly. Then the movie started and the ocean animals arrived one by one and except for one scene when a shark suddenly swallowed a fish and gave Ashu a scare, the rest of it was quite slow. Ashu kept saying "Crab, Octopus, Shark,..." and was enjoying the movie. But after about 30 minutes, she turned around with her back to the screen and started watching the little girl who was sitting at the back with her dad. As if to say, "I have watched better stuff on TV"! I don't blame her! Thank God, it was only for 40 minutes. We both came out after the movie ended to find Hd sipping Cappuccino. Ashu excitedly told him all the fish she saw and how the Octopus ate a crab, "crunch crunch nu"! All in all, a nice experience. May be I ll wait for her to be old enough to take her to some animated movie next time. Hd can have his coffee at home that time!