Tale of two little girls, this Father's day

My Baba strongest, is all I know
Be it rain, storm or uncertainty galore
The line inspires lifelong for sure
*****************************************
You are the best dad in the whole world
Says Ira with sunshine innocence
The magic lifeline for daughter diaries
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We are their 'little girls'
Happy and Proud like the spring blossom
Stories etched in hearts forever
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#Baba #Papa #Father'sDay2017 #TalesatThree #microblogging  #happiness #bliss #gratitude

Mamma, I will take the lady bug bag today!

 "Mamma,  I will take the lady bug bag today!"

One of the best things about the montessori education we feel is that Ira does a lot of things herself. She wears her own shoes,  packs her own little bag when we travel or visit a friend, keeps her plate or bowl in the sink post a meal and even throws garbage in the designated bins. These may come across as small chores but for a three year old, these are stepping stones to being independent and self sufficient. Another reason we are grateful for the type of learning  that we have chosen.

#Ira #Iraisms #School #Parenting #gratitude #JackfruitHouse #independent #selfsufficient #TalesatThree #microblogging 

Happy World Book Day 2017

A picture taken this morning that warms my heart. Ira has been down with an awful viral last few days. This morning she decides to do what comes naturally to her, reading her books and making up her stories. She is two years ten months and when I say read,  I mean she tells the stories based on her memory of the reading with us. Of course, it's World Book Day and Mamma takes this precious picture. The world needs more of us to love and read books because they transport us to a universe vividly colourful and happy.



Am reading two very interesting books. A woman in your own right was the first book I picked to read this year and am midway . slow read but thought provoking. Love, loss and what we ate is my current read and has been an emotional read so far. #readingbooks #happiness #worldbookday2017 #microblogging

Bus travel and random memories

My memories of bus travel revolve around travelling to MCC from Rajajinagar and later using the University Bus during MSc days. Some 'busstand besties' are now friends for life. Bus travel memories also remind me of my tryst with the local language,  forgetting to collect 88 Rs. (which was a lot at that time),  when I had paid 100 for a Rs. 12 ticket,  getting pick pocketed on a shopping trip to Commercial Street.
Most recent bus memories are of 2013-14 when I travelled to work by Bus while expecting Ira and Prashant dropped me to the starting depot so that it ensured a seat. I also travelled consciously on some bus days,  4th of every month.

Today,  visited a friend in Electronic City. On my return journey,  cabs refused to travel from E city to Yeshwantpur citing that it is too long a distance. While waiting for a cab to say yes,  my friend says,  take a bus part of the way! And so I did and it was like travelling down memory lane :) As I sit in another form of transport to cover the rest of the distance home,  I thought,  why not do some blogging.
#micro-blogging #bustravel #busmemories #busstandbesties 

Mamma, I am looking beautiful

The world is a beautiful place when you see it from the eyes of a 2 year 8 month old. Ira has recently learnt the word beautiful and uses it in multiple situations and for multiple people. She finds the characters in a book beautiful, she finds a tree in a park beautiful, she find mamma's institute beautiful, she also tells snowy (owl) that she is beautiful. This morning she wore a dress for school, looked at the mirror and told me, "Mamma, I am looking beautiful." The grin that accompanied the line was heart-melting. She then turned to me and said that am looking beautiful and gave her papa the same compliment. It didn't matter that I looked as draabe (shabby) as I could with unkempt hair and a rushed morning look. What mattered is that she has begun perceiving beauty in everything and everyone. Beauty that those little doe eyes see. The world is beautiful Period.
We have always told her how "Ira is brave, Ira is strong and Ira is smart (accompanied with gestures)." Guess, she has added the new line- "Ira is beautiful."

#Ira #Iraisms #microblogging #beautiful #childrenperceivebeautyineveryone #beautifulworld #positiveaffirmations

2017 is here!

2017 is here.

"Happy 2017"

It almost seemed like 2016 went in a jiffy but honestly, it always seems so.  There is so much that happened. We had some eventful and not so eventful work moments. A lot of firsts in terms of parenting. Ira began montessori and life just got more exciting. We made time for things that mattered, people who mattered and life because it mattered. Thankful for all the new friendships made and the new experiences and looking forward to what 2017 has in store. Hoping for a fruitful year work wise, a more healthy year and more newness.

I will also do something new beginning today. I have been gifted a five year journal where you write a line for each day, by a very very dear friend and I look forward to writing a line for each day gone by. This journal will capture experiences, feelings,   thoughts, confusions, Happiness,  madness and more.

Thank you V! 

Happy tummy, happy us

I love cooking.
Sometimes I can be a super enthu cook and sometimes, plain lazy.
One of the first things I learnt to make was omelette like ma and chicken curry like baba. I would add cheese,  tomatoes and anything that caught my fancy to the omelette. Most of the cooking I did at my parents was restricted to noodles,  pasta and some non veg starters.  Being married to a go foodie and a fabulous cook has only made cooking a more intriguing experience. It fascinates me to see Prashant read multiple recipes,  make complex masalas and then cook with the same enthu. Cooking for me is also destressing.
And I feel it is a skill that everyone must acquire. For days when you want comforting food, nothing works better than hot rice,  alu bhaate (bong mashed potato with mustard oil,  salt and green chilli) and moosur dal.
Since Ira has joined school,  there has been the effort to learn some new things and try variety of tiffin friendly recipes. The tiffin journey has now begun in true sense and have renewed respects for all parents who pack a wholesome homely lunch everyday.
Thursday morning enthusiasm saw palak parathas and alu bhaji being made. Happy tummy,  happy us.

For all of you

For all of you nursing a broken heart.
For all of you in pain, in a daze.
For all of you who are lost,  confused,  bitter.
For all of you suffering in health,
Physical or mental.
For all of you trying to break away from the shackles,
For all of you mourning the loss of someone close,
For all of you anticipating the worst.
Hang in there.
Time will hopefully heal.
Scars will remain. Memories will stay.
You will grow but stronger.
You will come out more resilient.
Embrace this moment, embrace the power within.
Life will go on.

#talkaboutwhatisbotheringyou #findthestrength #forallofyou

#microblogging 

Happy Children's Day the Ira way

Every pebble is a story untold
Shared with enthusiasm multi-fold
She slips and falls
Stands and says, "No big deal"..
Climbs spaces,  crawls on the ground,
Strides like an adult,  uses words newfound.
Every moment in her world,
Is happy children's day unbound.

#microblogging #Ira #Iraisms

A Perfect Sunday the Ira way

We are all early risers including our 29 month old toddler! For us a perfect Sunday more often than not includes a visit to the Cubbon Park, where at times we catch up with friends.

We love the fact that Ira loves nature and animals.  Whether it is searching for a centipede with a stick, patting the dogs, sitting and watching the parakeets with Papa or playing hide and seek around the banyan tree. Even while taking a break on a bench  and munching an apple,  she continues to narrate all that she did with all the toddler excitement. A perfect Sunday with perfect memories!

#microblogging #perfectsunday #nature #Ira #Iraisms

Hello World, See you in a while!

Dear Me,

That moment when the 'pain' is bigger than what the mind can manage and the body can take, let go. Slow down, calm your restless mind, stop making freaking imagery of missed deadlines, take that break, slack, do nothing!
Ligament tear induced 'pain' break.
Make the grand announcement, "Hello World, See you in a while!"

Love,
Me only

#micro-blogging #break #ligamenttear #painatanotherlevel #Mtrails 

M trails...Only person who knows is you!

There are days when you stare at the computer screen and that is all you do. BLANK. SPACE. PERIOD. ....MORE BLANK...MORE SPACE...

Then there are days when mental diarrhoea converts to those long articles where you pour out your heart, soul, blood and sweaty tired fingers ( esp if after years of being a researcher you still type awkwardly like I do).

Then somewhere in between come days with semblance of mediocrity, normalcy when how you use the words, how your sentences wind up do not matter, what matters is that you have something to say and you have your blog space to say it. Your little corner of comfort, your haven; that little girl-diary, you want no one to read and yet you want the world to know exactly what you are thinking.

My thought today, "No one can tell you how much you can think, how much you can do and how much you can feel...the only person who knows is you!".

Reviving my 'Mind Trails' series of blog-posts, that will now imbibe the spirit of a micro-blog (hopefully) and keep my 'mad' moments going.