Wednesday, January 23, 2008

From Chakki with love

" How can you?"
"How can you agree to spend the rest of your life with a person after meeting him once and after talking to him for a few hours!"
"How can you! how can you ?how can you ? how can you.................................................................. ( raised eyebrows on all faces twisted into a question mark(?))

Sigh!!!!.............Its not easy explaining about the turning point in one's life....life which just meandered from one phase to the next through bends and curves but still kept flowing. To those who cannot digest the fact that arranged marriages work , I would suggest them to take a tour of this institution called marriage at least half a century ago.........................


She had not met him.She packed her bags and her dreams and climbed the huge vehicle , which would take her to her future ......a future she was yet to carve .....for she couldn't fit in many missing links........after all she had not met him. Her father had given her details of her future house hold, their family background.....but she had not met him . He ,who would be her better half, who would be her soul mate!

Finally she met him during their wedding ceremony which lasted for four days...and they set out on their journey together!

"They lived happily ever after" would end this story....but this is where they began ....raised three wonderful children, treasured their six grand children, doted on their three great grand children... and today they are entering their 60th year of life together! I dedicate this post to my Abu and Ammumma , my grandparents!

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................


In those days my grandpa never used ink pens or fountain pens .. my grandpa used to dip the tip of a feather in a bottle of ink and use it instead of pen.I should be 2 or 3 yrs old. I was fascinated by the way he dipped the feather each time in the blue liquid , and how it formed patterns on paper... ! I made certain that grandpa was not noticing me and got hold of the blue ink bottle. The moment i threw it out of the porch I got the worst spanking I could ever remember.Grandpa's five fingers were etched on my teeny tiny thighs.....that day I learnt a lesson.....never to fool around my grandpa....

I must have been 3 years old....I was at my grand parents place...and my grandma was cooking steamed rice (putttu) .There was a special pot in which puttu was steamed and the small metal plate with holes which allowed steam to pass through the rice flour was missing! this round plate was called chakki. All were searching for chakki.
"hey, chakki is here !.. I shouted "and ammumma came running. She asked me where it was ... and I said pointing towards me .. "here is your chakki"
from that day I was their chakki.

If I pen down all the wonderful moments I spend with them...it would be hard to stop....
I am just so grateful for being blessed with these wonderful people as my grandparents....whose constant prayer for our well being has made us who we are!
Wishing them healthy and peaceful years together.....

chakki

Friday, January 11, 2008

New Year Resolution accomplished!


It is an occasion to celebrate! My New Year resolution is accomplished! not just accomplished, but accomplished beyond my wildest expectation!......and here goes the flash back!

Eight months back when we landed in US, my younger son was about to turn two and I decided to slowly potty train him.It was just a matter of a few days, or may be a few weeks..the "know-all" mother in me assured. After all, I had successfully trained my elder son when he was just an year old.

Once we settled down, I started taking my toddler for regular visits to the toilet. He was an obedient son. He used his potty with ease, triumphantly walked out of the toilet and peed again on the carpet, mischief filling his eyes. I stocked up more carpet cleaning liquids and disinfectants, but continued the regular toilet trips.
One fine day, he refused to use the potty. Whenever he was gripped by nature's call, he figured out a new way to approach the situation. He yelled and ran around the whole house... that I often wondered he would have grabbed the gold medal for Olympic athletic races. He successfully had his urges under control and constipated. He continuously boosted his taste for sports.

May be what he needs is a new potty.....I thought and brought home a new cute little blue potty. He was excited and I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally sat on it. He had better imagination. All his toy animals from prehistoric dinosaurs to stuffed toys formed a queue and visited the toilet, so that they could use this new blue potty.After a while, the potty was detained to the rank of a step stool. Our bookshelves filled with kids books and fun videos that encouraged kids to use their potty. Diapers were our saviors,which drained pockets.

When Christmas approached and thoughts of Santa Claus and gifts filled the air, he was told that Santa Claus will give gifts only if he uses the potty. The thought of potty made him yell.
One day despite his screams I forcefully sat him on the toilet seat and there , he did it! Santa Claus did give him his gifts an chocolates.
Next couple of days he did scream, but its intensity reduced.From last week, he stopped screaming and started asking for stories when he did his potty. He started enjoying the undivided attention and story time in the toilet. From past two days, he is dragging me to the toilet...making himself comfortable on the toilet seat and asking me to narrate a story! This might sound pretty good.. but let me tell you, these visits to the toilet have increased to more than five times during the day....now if you don't find me home , just knock the toilet door!

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

A restful vacation and Happy New Year


21st Dec 2007,

Kids busy decorating a Christmas tree and writing letters to Santa Claus! ....
Parents around the dining table , savoring hot coffee and discussing plans for the 11 day vacation.
Our first white Christmas in this new country...., with evergreen trees decked in the patterns of snow, lights illuminating the elegant night .... Christmas fills the air....
The mood of vacation has already permeated the whole household.

22nd December, 2007

A family outing at an Indian restaurant after the Christmas carol service.
All set to welcome the long vacation with loads of plans ....

23rd December,

One kid is burning with fever. ...Plans for the day , postponed. ... Not to worry! there are still days to enjoy!

24th
slight improvement in the kid's fever. But still not good enough to venture out. Unable to resist the temptations offered by his sibling .....his screams and laughter, the elder one joins him. .... resulting in the shooting of temperature.

25th
Santa Claus has made our day! a huge red stocking is filled with gifts! the joy of unwrapping the gifts seems to be more precious than the gift itself.....Among the sore throats and coughs and rising temperature Santa Claus has cast his magical spell. Kids can hardly stop smiling!

26th
Visit to the pediatrician.
Visit to the Pharmacy for the medicines....advice to take rest !.....

27th, 28th, 29th, 30th 31st

Every member of the family share the same plight . All are advised to take rest. .....and take medications!

conclusion......a very eventful vacation filled with REST!.....exciting visits to the pediatrician ..... and physician! .....shopping at Pharmacy! ....all have been freaking out on cough syrups !....

This was the story of my long hibernation......but this is not a long post on my misfortune or our sickness!
this 11 days cloistered existence at home has surely brought us more closer as a family. Our illness has taught us how dependent we are on each other! ..It is not visiting exotic places , that can make us happy...it is just the time we spend with each other......i am grateful that we could all be together! ... loving and caring for each other , in the safety of home!

1st January 2008...

Wishing all of you An year filled with Love,Grace and Bliss!