New Year 2010 and First Day of School!

Happy New Year! 2010 is here! I am wishing and will be working towards a fabulous year...so in 2011 I can say that was a year I truly lived:):):) New Year's day had a small party at my place and gathered family and close friends to welcome the 2010. And the days went by fast and today both my sons started school...Arjoonha my started year 1 and he is 7 and Bhaarath is 4 and started kindergarten. It's amazing the anxiety we feel for our kids, trying to shelter them from all harm and making it an amazing experience. It was a good day...as it could have been worst, things went generally pretty smooth. I did not go to work today and I thought i will go to work tomorrow, but will play it by ear. Arjoonha will be going to a homework coaching centre prior to his afternoon school..(how i wish he can have someone teach him in the house), but I am not chinese educated and he is going to a chinese school and needs someone to coach him..(ok i am rambling here, but I am not sure if all this is good for him,and the arrangement is conducive). Under the circumstances I will stick to this till a better plan comes up! Sigh...why do I worry so much, I should pray trust in God and let it go...and I must do more letting go this year! Life has been a blessing and I have so many good things happening...and I realise I have no right to complaint. Anyway Happy New Year again.

Year Ends

There is something hopeful and refreshing about year ends. Probably it's all the commercial, and hype..from the media. But year ends always makes everyone looks a little more cheerful, happier and relaxed. There is something exciting about a new year ahead, a chance to get things right, to start all over again, to wish and to hope to make things better then the past year! If I could just have a choice of one resolution, then it will be to try harder..and if I could have just one wish, then it would be wishing for peace to reign on earth! And we started our year end partying earlier...And had a sumptious dinner!

Simple Life!

When I was a young child our idea of a holiday or getaway is going to relatives or friends house during the school holidays. My parents will be busy catching up with their friends over meals or tv and we the kids will be chatting away or playing games such as hide and seek and as we grew older maybe monopoly. No strolling in the shopping mall, computer games and checking into hotels...we were not able to to afford that. And as a child I envied those who were able to stay in hotels and go to far away places for holidays. As an adult now I realise I begin to crave for those simple holidays where we are able to call into a friends or cousins place. This is exactly what we did last weekend. We took the kids to a friends place at another state and stayed at their home and we felt so welcome..and happy just catching up and chatting till the wee hours of the morning! We ate at home, went for walks and dinner...The kids...hmm they played, they watched lots of TV(sigh the idiot box seems to dominate all homes)... We did not spend much, it was a cheap break, but it was fulfilling, warm and fun..

My kids are growing up way too fast!

Arjoonha started school yesterday, he is in year one, 7 year old big boy! I cant believe it,still remember him being the cutest baby so gentle and easy to care for. Now here he is wearing his school uniform and going to the big school! i felt so anxious and nervous for him. How if he is bullied, how if he gets an ogre for a teacher, how if he is a very poor student and comes out last in class, how if he is depressed and despises school..how if he does not enjoy school the way I did a long time ago! I brought him to school, and was with him for awhile, he seems quiet but at ease, and soon i left and he seemed alright! I felt better seeing him all cool about it and not making a fuss...and i thought okay this is not too bad after all...the world is not as bad out there as i imagined it to be! Bhaarath my 2nd son is going to preschool in january and it's a whole lot of changes for us. Both boys in school. I will miss them just being crazy and young and not worrying about schoolwork! But they grow, and learn, and hurt and laugh and cry and smile and hopefully they will grow up to be courageous, kind and God fearing!

Good movies come in all colors...black,white, yellow or red!

I love watching movies, documentaries, cook shows, celebrity news and almost everything and anything. Nothing gives me more joy then a good movie, and my version of a good movie is a about 'women, and family, and love and friendship and jane austen kind of love! I also have a sadistic streak and once awhile enjoys holocaust and end of the world movies, and of course that will include going to the cinema to watch 2012! Have booked tickets for the family today evening! What i enjoy is not the sordid details of dying and the world coming to an end, I dont believe in that! But the good and bad of humanity when something terrible happens. I sure do hope 2012 will not be disappointing. Growing up I was a fan of little house in the prairie, and wanted to be laura ingalls(braid and all), or wanting to be Anne in Anne of Green Gables(with hair as red as carrot), or wanting a family like the Waltons(grandpa and grandma)! A dose of a good movie and a good cuppa coffee is all I need to perk me up...and also well behaved children, loving husband, lots of money, lots of free time...Hope I am not asking for too much here!:)

Maidless

Our domestic helper dear Awi has left for a 2 months break. Selfishly I so regret for granting her a 2 months break, though it's a well earned one. I was so nervous the thought of her leaving to indonesia, where she comes from. She has been with us for 5 years and we have come to rely on her more then we will like to admit. She cleans and cooks for us, and while we are out at work she minds the kids. So you can imagine just how much she does. Being working parents with a full time job and 2 active boys leaves us with very little time. Any time left after work is spent with them, or taking them for classes and prayer sessions..Without a maid we have to send them to daycares and childminders which can be more costly and not having a home environment. A good domestic helper is indeed a blessing for us. They take care of our home and kids while we are at work. Back to Awi being away, i was a bundle of nerves, and my sweet friend Louis offered his maid to help us for 4 days a week. That was so surreal and took care of most of our worries. So sunday till friday morning i have help with house and kids, and that is such a BLESSING. Friday till sunday afternoon without any help with kids and housework was making me all crazy and totally exhausted. There is just no way working mothers can hold a full time job and still take care of kids and run a clean home. So I am counting my blessings! And my heart goes out to all the women out there who does too much.. ! I am counting my blessings!

8 years of marriage!

Today is our 8th year wedding anniversary! We got married at 5pm, 20th October 2001. Siva my husband was so nervous walking down the aisle and I was busy waving at everyone and he was getting all nervous as I was all over the place. I remember when we were invited to give the wedding speech, I literally grabbed the mic from him and gave the speech first not that I was domineering(though Siva will beg to differ), but because I was nervous and wanted to get it over with, and I remember not having a taste of our own wedding dinner because we were busy talking and meeting guests...and later we were so hungry and when all went home we went out with shorts and tshirt to the nearest tea shop and had tea! I remember us feeling a little funny that we were husband and wife and not merely a couple still dating..It all felt strange and comfortable! I remember us feeling exciting and fun preparing for our honeymoon to Thailand.. I remember Siva having sore eyes during the honeymoon but we just didnt care..It feels like a lifetime ago, but only 8 years ago. I married Siva not for the usual reasons, of gentle and being tall dark and handsome...err he is tall and dark though...2 out of 3 is not too bad I guess.. But I married him as I know I can totally rely on him. ...And he will be and is a great father..and he is the most generous and helpful person I have ever come across ..And he will put my welfare, my children, family and friends welfare first...I sure do hope we have many, many more anniversaries to celebrate!