Project 365 :: Week 51

Day 348: Mama and Papa attending Palliative care training. Girl is busy drawing cards for attendees.
Day 349: New diary from Mama's new office
Day 350: Invite from girl's school for junior showcase. We are eagerly looking forward to.

Project 365 :: Week 50

Day 341: Random click in the afternoon
Day 342: Girl's drawing
Day 343: Girl's new Hindi book. She is going to learn Hindi now.
Day 344: Girl made a doll from sponge.

Project 365 :: Week 49

Day 334: An early Bday card for Mom. In fact she could not resist showing this to mama.

Project 365: Week 48

Day 326: New guest at home

Project 365 :: Week 45

Day 313: Mom in the exam hall.

Day 314: Evening walk in the park

Day 315: With girl at paediatrician.

Project 365 :: Week 44

Day 299: A rose we bought from Russel market. Mama's gift to L.

My Sunday Photo | 12 Oct 2014

5 year old's paintings on her birthday...

MySundayPhoto

Project 365: Week 41

 Day 278: Henna on Eid

Project 365 :: Week 40

 Day 271: The artist back in action... Best way to spent a busy weekend

Project 365 | Week 39

Day 264: All tired... a click in between eid shopping

Toy train ride with Nilgiri Mountain railway

An incredibly late post is finally up, yay!

During our Ooty trip in last April, we had an exhilarating ride over Niligiri mountains on Ooty's popular toy train. This historic railway line has been operating since 1899 (founded during British rule in India) and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. 

These rare locomotive steam trains run from Ooty to Mettupalayam, covering 46 Kms and passing through 200 curves, 250 bridges ( including about 30 viaducts ) and 16 tunnels. Blame on lack of time, we had chosen to travel till Coonoor from Ooty (Udagamandalam), which is around 26km. We had booked our tickets well in advance over IRCTC website. It's very difficult to get tickets during peak time especially around summer vacation in India.

Here is the photo journal.... Needless to say, we had best time watching the breathtaking wonders of nature by enjoying the Nilgiris morning breeze patting over us. 

Project 365 :: Week 35

Day 236: Watching sunset from our corridor...
Day 237: Girl is attempting a new art on a paper plate
Day 238: Girl's new drawing– an elephant near a mountain and a smiling sun is peeking through...
Day 239: We spotted him today at the play area. Kids had loads of fun watching him!

India's Independence Day

India is celebrating 68th Independence day on 15th Aug. Over the weekend, we were playing with the tricolor...

My Sunday Photo :: Silent Sunday | 10 Aug 2014

My Sunday Photo

Project 365: Week 32

Day 215: Girl's new construction. Dad helped with the chair and background is from her imagination. 

Eid Craft

Eid is the celebration marking the end of Ramadan, the fasting month, for muslims around the globe. L and I did some quick craft work around eid. Sharing it below.

These little red seeds are natural ones found extensively in Kerala. Kids usually fall in love with these beautiful beads.  We collected these during our summer vacation back home.

My Sunday Photo/ Silent Sunday :: 03 Aug 2014

MySundayPhoto and Silent Sunday

Project 365 :: Week 31

Day 208: At Kerala to celebrate Eid with family. It's been pouring down like anything. Look at the flower from MIL's collection.

Day 209: Henna decoration on hands to celebrate eid on next day. Mummy's "art" on little hands.

Day 210: Girl on her Eid special outfit; all set to head to eid gah (prayer ground) to attend prayer.

Doddabetta Peak - Ooty

Pictures from Doddabeta Peak, Ooty, the highest peak of South India!

Tales from KG2 - 2 :: Beauty

Beauty is a term which needs a major re-definition, I suppose. It's high time we have to "un-learn, re-learn and re-define" it.

What made me think so? Nothing but whining of my preschooler.


Scene 1: We were walking towards our apartment after picking L from school bus. The worried girl asked me:
"Mama, do you think I have dark circles around my eyes?"
Mom: "What??? dark circle?? How did you learn this? Who said so?"
Girl: "Mr. J (her KG mate). He said it needs to be treated else I won't be pretty."
Mom: "There is nothing around your eyes. You look tired because you did not sleep well. You better not bother at all."
Girl: "But, Mama, J said it's there and it's bad." [He even suggested creams.]

I had tough time convincing my daughter that she just needs to ignore such blabbering.

Safety measures to consider before you narrow down on a private school

If you're from India, you must be aware of the recent sexual assault of a 6 year old in an international school in Bangalore. As a parent who has trusted her precious with a school, I was totally dismayed to learn this news and wrote to the school even though they had sent a text assuring that they have all possible security measures in place. 

Few things I inquired are from the list below.  Probably, you can do the same if you are sending or planning to send a child in any school in the country. The school responded appreciably to my queries. 

10 Things

Hope you all had a great eid. Ours was not bad. We celebrated with our extended family back in Kerala. Visited great granny, some relatives, sicks, went to eidgah and met friends over there.... Had yummy biriyani cooked by MIL and ada payasam! Loads of sweets and fun too. Unfortunately, the same night we had to head back to Bangalore.. Liya's school and J's office to blame on!

Visiting people, new outfit, cousins, food, mehandi, craft and much more!

10 silly things happened in less than 24 hours (on eid day)!

Project 365 :: Week 30

Day 201: Attended another iftar party...

10 things

My heart goes for

1. All innocent people in #Gaza who are being bombed and shelled and especially the children who are being brutally killed
2. The girls who are being kidnapped by Boko Haram propaganda
3. The Christians who are being driven out and Shias who are being killed by ISIS
4. All the girls in my country who are suffering injustice for just being born as girls
5. The kid who was raped by school teacher in my city
6. Loads of Syrians, Iranis etc. who are living under bombs and oppression
7. All parents who lost their children
8. All children who lost their parents
9. All who are denied their basic right to choose and practice their faith and yet compelled to accept or practice another - I am totally shaken by the religious intolerance creeping through the country and the world, especially Islamic world. 
10. Last not least, all who are living under oppression, whose basic rights are denied and regardless of what faith they practice and where they belong!

Project 365 :: Week 29

Day 194: A tiny tomato from our balcony plant! 

Day 195: Shhh... prayer time!

Day 196: I don't know what is it called; got recipe from a friend, you may call it meat idly.. ;)

Are our kids safe inside schools?

No, not anymore. For past few days, what you see below is the talk of the town.

Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle

10 Things :: Ramadan

10 important things from the month of Ramadan (month of fasting)

1. Ramadan Crescent (which declares the starting of month Ramadan)
2. Suhur (Food taken before sunrise)
3. Iftar (Breaking of fast)
4. Tharaveeh (Long night prayers)
5. Loads of prayers, acts of worships, charity
6. Forgiveness and seeking forgiveness 
7. Abstaining from everything that's evil
8. Reading a lot from Quran
9. The Night of Power (which happens in one of last 10 days of Ramadan)
10. Shavval Crescent (the sighting declares end of month Ramadan)

Hope your (if applicable to you) Ramadan is going great! 

Project 365: Week 28

Day 187: Attending an iftar party. Waiting for adhaan although she is not fasting.. :)

Day 188: Sweet corn cutlets from today's menu

Day 189: Ice tea prepared for iftar (breaking of fast)

Project 365: Week 27

Day 180: Ramadan fasting day 1: Meat cutlets from iftar (breaking of fast) menu
Day 181: Liya's Ramadan project- a charity box. We are going to collect coins everyday through Ramadan and contribute to some cause, In Sha Allah!
Day 182: Custard fruit salad from iftart menu
Day 183: Irachi Pathirni or Stuffed meat bread from iftar menu

Project 365 :: Week 26

Day 173: Dad and Girl were on origami art. The end product - a doggy it seems!

Project 365: Week 24

Day 159: L loves fish. She eats double when there is fish.. :) 

Day 160: A random pose for photo.. 

Day 161: Yet another drawing from L

Tales from KG2 - 1

Day 2 of KG2: 

Mum had sent her activity books and worksheets with the aya in the school bus and instructed to handover the same to L's class teacher as the books are meant to maintain in the school only. L lost track of things thereon. In the evening she got back home and mum inquired if the books have landed in the place. 

Reply came in no time "mum, I carried it from the bus and you know I don't know what happened thereafter, it hasn't reached my teacher. I am sure it has fallen down since it was heavy." 

Mum was shocked to hear that she carried whole lot of books all the way to classroom, unlike instructed. Wait, mum knows her daughter well, she is very good in making stories, not just around story time, but anytime she foresees a scope. 

My sunday Photo | Silent Sunday :: 8th June 2014

Every withered flower has a great story to share, a worthy message to pass on, about the days of love, bloom and beauty. 


MySundayPhoto

Project 365: Week 23

Day 152: Yet another lazy Sunday. This girl never gets free or bored. She always got something to do, I love it!

Project 365: Week 22

Day 145: To be in the lap of your dad, the first man every girl will fall in love with... 

To feel the unconditional love and trust.. 

There is no moment like one! 

A click from the train! 

Boating at Ooty Lake

Heading to the lake...

A visit to Beypore Port and Beach - 04/19/2014

Beypore port is a sub-port in Calicut district of Kerala. This is one of the oldest ports and had played an important role in the trading that was done between India and Middle east.

Beypore is known for many things- this is where the famous Kerala writer, Vaikkom Muhammed Basheer, who was known as Beypore Sultan, lived.

Shots from the port. Liya was seeing a ship for the first time ever since we left Buffalo. She was fascinated, however, she could not enter inside it.

Ooty trip: At Tea factory

Did you know how they make tea dust from fresh tea leaves?
We didn't know, so girl was super excited to explore and learn during our Ooty trip.

Project 365: Week 20

Day 131: Mum's day shot from our balcony. A stray dog breastfeeding its 4-5 puppies together. 

10 Things: My current city!

10 things I like about my current city - Bangalore!

The first city where I went job hunting right after graduation, 9 years ago.

My IT career started here.

This is where I met J (my hubby-to-be then) for the first time.

This is where we dined together for the first time.

For it taught me that Hindi is a must to survive in most part of India.

(Yet, I continue to be weak in conversing in Hindi)

The first metro I roamed around and explored alone.

For loads of pals and acquaintances I have here

For being so close to my homeland -
(hop on a night train, be home early in the morning!)

The greenery

The lovely weather which you don't find in any other metros of India!

Learning about bird's nest!

While we were at grandparent's place Liya spotted a bird's nest from our land. Her joy had no boundaries. It was for the first time ever she got to hold a real nest in her hand. She demanded to bring that to Bangalore and paint it. So did we!

Silent Sunday / My Sunday Photo : 05/11/2014

 MySundayPhoto 

Project 365 :: Week 19

Day 124: At Bangalore commercials, girl is eagerly searching for a henna cone.  

Driving from Bangalore to Ooty - 04/04/2014

Often, I find my life locked in front of screens...
A WAH mom definitely has loads of benefits and privileges, however, mostly your world is gonna shrink within few walls, family and digital world, from the day you begin Working-from-Home (compared to working from office). We definitely needed a break. We chose Ooty, a hill station, which is on our way back home. We have been planning for home since it's summer holidays for Liya. 
Ooty is definitely the closest place if you just want to relax and have fun. 

Early in the morning ....

Homemade breakfast on the way! Malabar Pathiri and kadai chicken.
By the way, did you know how easy it's to wake a preschooler up early in the morning when (s)he already knows that you're all set on a trip. 

Project 365: Week 18

Day 117: Traveling back to Bangalore.  Entering the state of Karnataka. 

Day 118: Back to children's park at our apartment. Waiting for dear friends.

Day 119: On the way to L's school (where we did K1) to pick K1 graduation certificate.

Day 120: A beautiful evening, sunset from our balcony

Project 365 : Week 17

 Day 110: At Beypore port and beach. L had great time watching ships and playing in the waves with cousins.

Project 365 : Week 16

Day 103: At a relatives place, feeding their lamp. Her joy had no boundaries. 

She really wanted to take this little one home.

4.5 years!

One little woman
Hitting 4.5

Growing at the blink of an eye

Too many whys

Endless questions

Justifications

Arguments

Excuses
Impatience
Obstinacy
Disobedience
Laziness

Small lies, at times

Likes and Dislikes
Stage fright 

Much to Do before 5 : Update

It's been a while.... so here is what we're gonna cross today from our bucket list.

Read without assistance (Read here) : We're there already. Super excited.. :)
Gardening and planting lessons (See here and here): It's fun to help and watch plants grow. 
Observe earth hour: (See here): We learned about saving energy and we pledged to save as much as we can.