Sleep Time

Babs has been sleeping by herself since she turned three. But there is a caveat, she almost always wakes up 4-5 hours after she has gone to bed and stomps her way to our room. Some days, this is a smooth process, she walks and comes, I take her to pee, and she is back in our bed and snoring. Then there are these other days, when she cries from her room, begging for us to come and fetch her. We play games, where I will walk to our door and wait for her, etc, etc, depending on how much she is screaming or tearing out her lungs.

The other day she stomps in, freaks me out because she is all giggly next to my face. We both go to the restroom, and when we come back she picks up the water bottle, gives it to her dad, drinks some, gives it to me before climbing on the bed. Once snuggled next to us, she starts singing this random song...

G, Babs and S uncle used to listen to this a lot during World Cup for the sake of entertainment and she randomly remembered it that night and sang it.

Well after that we had a laugh fest and neither of us slept for quite a while. She is our entertainment!

Love
Amma

Fasting & Karva Chauth

I love to fast. I have fasted for stuff I need, for my husband's health, for daughter's health (and soon for some brains), for mom and dad, well...you get the picture. I am a steadfast faster. I never fasted just a single day, it was always any random number I picked and would do anywhere between 3 Thursdays to 12 Wednesdays. All random. The thing is, I believe in bribing God first and then Thanking later...doing both ensures higher success rate.

Then you ask why not Karva Chauth? Because I am not sure of what I am supposed to do, I do not know the customs. While I set the ground rules for my fastings, I do not know the age old traditions set by generations past because it is not something I grew up with. Of course, like majority of the South Indians none of us knew about this auspicious day until Simran fasted for Raj in DDLJ.

My friends who religiously fasted and still made it to Babs Party, I love you even more today. Not a spot of food or water and you were standing there with your wards chasing them around with a smile on your face...thank you for that.

Hope all of you and yours had a great Karva Chauth and now eagerly awaiting the arrival of Deepavali!

I love October...first it is Dasara, then Babs and G's Birthday, then Deepavali, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year. It is as if October paves way for a whole world of Celebrations.

Love
ART

Jobs & The Coloring Paper

Babs, I want you to remember this. Look back and laugh, with me...

I left Babs in the restroom and ran out to watch Anderson Cooper's coverage on Steve Jobs the day after he died. G and I were discussing it when Babs hollered for me. I went into the bathroom to check on her when she told me, "Amma, sit here," pointing to the tub edge.

"Babs, finish pooping and then call me. Amma and Papa are seeing something on TV,"  I said as I was still trying to hear in on the TV.
"Please amma, please?" she pleaded and I gave in instructing G to record the show, which I am yet to see...so here is the conversation...

Babs: What are you seeing on TV?
Me: Oh it's a documentary on this guy.
Babs: Which guy?
Me: Steve Jobs. (I try to help her pronounce the name).
Babs: Who is he?
Me: You know, he is a great guy. The laptops, iPad, iPhone, iPod, and all that we use, are his inventions.
Babs: Ya, and also the coloring paper.
Me: What?
Babs: He also invented the coloring paper, right?
Me: Why? No.
Babs: I am sure he did, I like coloring paper a lot too. (She loves my iPhone and iPod)
Me: No Babs.
Babs: Amma, tell me, how did he invent the coloring paper?
Me: Babs, finish pooping and call me...

I leave the bathroom unable to hold back laughter, bursting in giggles I narrate the story to G who also started laughing loudly...we had a fill of fun!

And for that, I thank you Babs! You always make the most dull moment in life funny too...

Love
Amma

PS: Babs you are going to be 4 in a week. I think it is high time you started pooping without company for entertainment and small talk.

Jobs!

I am proud to have lived in the age of great people like Jobs, Gates, and Buffet.

It is sad to be around when he died, but lives on as an inspiration for me and mostly importantly my daughter. When she is old enough, she will hear me talk about him to her.

Most of the times death of people outside family rarely affects me. Jobs did. I could not sleep at night and there is a cloud on my head. Somehow feel that the technology world is now lacking a main player. The revolutionary visionary was now gone leaving behind a void. Not sure anyone can fill his shoes.

Thanks for making the iPhone and iPod. Thanks for making me carry all my music no matter where I was, in the smallest of my purses. Thanks for keeping my daughter entertained with the iPhone while I was having a bath or cooking. Thanks for making the world competitive enough for us to have a choice, a voice.

RIP. You will be sorely missed.

Love
ART

Skater-Girls

It was her classmate's birthday that they were celebrating in an ice skating rink. Babs walked around the rink and initially rejected the idea of going on the ice. After watching her friends slip and slide she looked at me and asked, "Amma, will you also go inside with me?" I shrugged. What did I have to loose? A tooth or a finger maybe or better still find a muscle that I never knew existed. So we rented the skates.

I have not been in a rink for ever and even otherwise I can barely keep myself standing. So I walk in gingerly. Babs goes ahead, turns around and stretches her hand out to me. "Come Amma, hold me, I will be your teacher and you listen to me." With those words, she started directing my every move on the ice. We sang rhymes, songs, walked around slowly, and had a great time. She fell at least 4 times but refused my help when I gave her a hand. 

After 2.5 rounds around the rink, her legs were giving away and I held her hand and we skated together when the two of us landed on the ice. We laughed so hard, got up, hugged and continued our skating/walking. It was definitely one of the best times of my life. My daughter, my teacher and my love...who would believe that she had only been to 4 skate classes till then.

Love

ART