Ms.An and I are sick again.. another viral infection.I swear,we are bug-free for all of two weeks.She looked too tired when she woke up today and I didn’t have the heart to drop her to the daycare.I would just worry about her.On days like this,I hate the fact that I am working.But I work at a kid-friendly place and there are enough toys to keep her entertained.So,I decided to take her along..first time ever. At times like this,I can’t love my job,enough 🙂
Since we only had to drop Ms.A to school,we got to my work ahead of time and so had enough time to grab a takeaway coffee and some snacks for Ms.An.Then,it was time for work.Ms.An had a blast,trying out all the toys.This time,she walked out only once and I found her checking out the paintings and pretending to read flyers in the foyer.Other than that,she was good as gold 🙂 
But it ended up being a super-long day for her..I had a Dr’s appointment and she missed her nap..then school pick-up,her Dr’s appointment and finally picking up Ms.A from a play-date. By the time,we got to Ms.A’s friend’s place..she was exhausted and acting like a zombie.I quickly finished my cup of tea,apologized for my cheeky monkey and ran out the door.
The first thing Ms.An did when we came home was snuggle up on the couch with her milky bottle…that seemed to calm her down.Milky finished,a little telly time and she climbed into my lap,ready to sleep..early bedtime for her tonight.
As for me,my throat feels so raw.SD joked that may be he should wrap me in bubble-wrap..It was wndy outside,I was indoors,still I got the sniffles that turned into sneezes n sore throat… But the good news is its my day off tomorrow..and an even better news is its my day off even on Thursday 😛 So I am not complaining 🙂
More later,need to get some shut-eye …
Love,
T

Fathers day celebrations this year began 2 days early.There was a Father’s Day Breakfast for Dad’s at Ms.A’s school and she was excited to go there with her dad.And on the same day,Ms.An’s daycare was hosting an afternoon tea on the same day and it would be pointless for SD travel to work (1 hour each way-including a 40 min train ride)..so he attended two meetings from home and took the rest of the day off. 

This is at Ms.An’s daycare..The theme was sports and I had forgotten to get a T-shirt for MsAn,so she had to wear her sister’s T-shirt-it was big but she looked cute 😀
We had planned to have a picnic on Saturday,so as to have a separate celebration,but Ms.An was coughing and sneezing,SD & I had an argument,Ms.An kicked up a fuss about getting dressed and our plans were cancelled. 
On Sunday morning,Ms.A woke up super early- 6 am and started waking me up.She wanted to serve breakfast-in-bed to her dad.Finally I got out of bed at 7 am and we served Toast and coffee in bed,along with his presents. Ms.An declared..”Its not Papa Bday,its I birthday”. As always we had got ‘Thank-you’ gifts for the girls and that was the saving grace,because there was no way,Ms.An was handing over her presents till she got one back 😛

 

Lunch was at the Indian restaurant,celebrating Onam.As soon as we got in the car,after lunch,Ms.A asked SD..”So,Papa,what do you want to do for Father’s Day?Where do you want to go?” And before SD could answer,she added a rejoinder”And you are not allowed to say ‘home’ ” So we came home,and then SD and Ms.A went for a movie. Its their special thing..her special(alone) time with dad-if I ask to join in,they both get very territorial about it..besides,I prefer staying home with Ms.An.She gets bored/restless in a theatre,once her popcorn finishes and one of us has to walk outside with her..So,instead we stay home,play with the blocks,take a nap..Anyway,so SD & MsA went for a movie and the excitement on Ms.A’s face..OMG!It was priceless..:)
Ms.An was excited to eat a whole punnet of strawberries alone..without sharing :D. So that was our Father’s Day this year 🙂
How was your weekend?

Onam was on Sunday,which was also Father’s Day here in Australia and as Ms.A pointed out to us,its not fair that Papa has to share his day with a festival.While I can’t control the calendar,I can surely control the order of this here on my blog 🙂 So,here’s the Onam post.

This year,one of the local restaurants was serving the Onam Sadhya( the whole festive spread) so we decided to go there,with a friend’s family. Lots of food was consumed and a good time was had by all 😀 I leave you with pics 🙂

That was our lunch.. SD did make it a point of educating us about what each dish was..He was the only person from Kerala in our group,but I was too busy eating to remember the names 😀

And here’s one of my three in their festive wear 🙂 My Tomboy,Ms.An refuses to wear dresses.Did you notice her beloved Murfee in her hand ? When she is tired or sleepy,she looks for Murphee..when she happy,she looks for Murphee-he is her BFF at the moment 🙂
P.S. Walking is BORING so, Ms.A has to either skip or dance..:D

I was having laptop issues,so going to post the last 3 days posts today 🙂

SD and I went out for lunch on Friday..:) The girls were at school/daycare.SD had taken a day off for Father’s day celebrations at School/daycare..so we used to time in between to go on a date 🙂
It’s amazing,what a difference,a little alone time can make to a couple’s life..specially a couple with young kids. Most of our time/day is spent in keeping on top of life …keeping the kids,fed/dressed/safe and balancing a 100 things. And since having kids,our couple time is very very limited..Our girls are shocking with their sleep.They take forever to fall asleep.Ms.A is better now.She goes to her room at 8:30 and stays in bed.Ms.An not so much.She keeps running in and out of her,one of us has to stay in bed with her and invariably we end up falling asleep or being so frustrated,talking to each other is at the bottom of our list.

So this was nice. We put our phones on the vibrate mode and put them face down on the table and just spent time talking..just like old times 🙂 We were both in a good mood,all day :)And ofcourse the good food helped too.

 

 

Last night,both the girls wanted their daddy to tuck them in and so I had free time!!! I wanted to sing and dance and jump around..yayyyyyyyyy FREEDOM!! It has been sooo long since that happened. So,I used my free time( how good does that sound!) to read the old posts on the blog and I stumbled upon May 2012..when I was doing a blogpost everyday and it was so nice to read that..I went to bed,feeling happy.
So I have decided to give it another shot.. just random ramblings..nothing fancy,but just tidbits that I can read later and smile at 🙂 Today,after dropping Ms A to school,MsAn and I nicked into the shops to grab a present for Father’s day. Aadi’s school has a Father’s Day stall and she bought presents for SD from there.For the last two years,the pressies are from both her and Anan,but this year,she wants it to be just from her-her being,that Anan is 3 now,she is not a baby and can pick her own presents.So,anyway,we went to the shops and picked up a little present 🙂 And then decided to window shop and I ended up buying a dress. When I tried it on,Ms.An said,”You look cute,Mum” LOL!! Yup! I am a sucker!I bought the dress..it is pretty cute too. 
The other exciting bit about today is Didi taught Ms.An how to use the TV remote. So far..I had control of the remote.When she wanted to watch TV,she would bring it to me and ask me to turn it on and I would say no or yes,depending on how much screen time she had already had that day.And obviously didi felt bad for her poor,TV-deprived sister and had to take matter in her hands and rectify the situation! So now,my ickle baby can turn on the TV herself!! She doesn’t need mumma 😦 
That being said,I have to stop this post now,because its nap time and ‘Nanya wants to feep Mummy’ 
Have a great day 🙂

 

..is my mantra these days. That is the only way,I can keep up with life and not get overwhelmed. Making plans based on how the day is going,instead of pre-planning in advance. When I make plans in advance,I either forget about them..OR I forget about the plans made and end up making other plans on the same day 😦 

Like today for instance..I had plans to catch up with two girlfriends and their toddlers and I invited another gf over for lunch.. asked a fourth if she wanted to come over and taste some new dishes that I want to try cooking!!! I knowww sounds bizzare but its a true story!
And after the girls left,I asked a friend if she wants to go for a walk,while Ms.A attended drawing class..completely forgetting that I would have the cleaner over at that time..Seriously embarassing 😀 So I need a day planner/week planner..something that I can see all the time-May be a huge sign board with flashing lights or even a white board..thoughts?

The only thing that I pre-plan is the meals.I try to get meals sorted for the next day..either preps or half of the meals cooked or shopped.We have decided consciously to cut down on takeaways and so being prepared helps and it saves money!
Yesterday I spent $40  $37.39 and got stuff to make 3 dinners- 
1 bag of ravioli and a bag of garlic bread- for dinner last night.I had the fixings for sauce.
1.5kgs for chicken – Cooked 1 kg for dinner tonight (butter chicken mix also bought last night)
Marinated half kg chicken for a meal later in the week.
1 can of chickpeas to cook tomorrow night.Some salad fixings and snacks for the girls to munch on.
And to think a dinner or breakfast for 4 at McDonalds cost that much.. when we go to a drive-thru..Sitting there makes it more expensive. 
Besides this is good practice for MB12 weeks 🙂 Can you tell I am excited???Can you?Can you?? 😀

Hope you are having a good week..more soon..xx

 

First of September is first day of Spring in Australia. I L.O.V.E spring..She makes me happy..despite the hayfever!There is nothing I love more than to see new leaves appear on the bare branches. 
Its a new beginning..so many things to look forward to..I find my blues are at bay,when we move into the new season.

Today was far from perfect in terms of weather..it was dark and gloomy and rained all day..but it didn’t dampen my spirits..I know its more pschycological than real but still 😀
This month I am starting the Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation again and I am excited. I had signed up for it 2 years back,when Ms.An was 6 mo and had managed to lose a fair bit of weight and also gained strength..that is my aim again this time. Every time I start a new plan/diet I vow to stick to it..but I let go again. Here’s hoping this time will be different. If I feel brave enough,I will share photos.. Let’s see 🙂
Gosh!! Can you believe it ..we are in the 9th month of the year?? This year sure has gone fast.I can’t wait to get to the end of the year..exciting changes await,more about those later. Here’s one of my favorite photos of spring,from a couple of years back 🙂

Dearest An,
You turned 3, nearly 3 weeks back.I didn’t plan to write this today,but you went to bed,on your own today,I think for the very first time.There was no dilly-dallying,no fighting(ok there was a little playful fighting-more about that in a minute)no call-outs for milky/water,no jumping on the bed-Just kisses and long cuddles,I Wuv you Mumma and lights off. I left you in your room and you went to sleep in less than 10 minutes.Thank you,Princess,Mumma is relaxed today and so I can write this letter to you and when you are old enough to read it then we can read this and laugh together.
Ms.An,you are my firecracker- you are so full of spunk,you just DONOT stop.I think the only time that you are quiet or still is when you are asleep.A couple of months back, I  We  your papa  we,both your papa and I were worried about your speech.Papa said he didn’t understand what you spoke. I had to constantly translate,what you were saying.We were also trying to constantly see if you were measuring up to the benchmark that your sister set up..and finally came to the conclusion,that you are both different-very different. She had more words and a clearer speech,but you had more understanding,were/are smarter and better at your gross motor skills. You were grasping the pencil so well,even before your 1st birthday and had the most perfect defined strokes :)Sorry baby – you are perfect the way you are 🙂
We were worried that you didn’t follow our instructions..I spent many nights worrying about it,before finally concluding that you didn’t follow instructions,not because you didn’t understand them,but because you didn’t care about them OR because you didn’t think it was worth stopping your FUN to follow our instructions.Yelling doesn’t work on you,but if I just say the same thing in a different tone,you happily oblige :)You are a free spirit,not scared of anything or anyone..my crazy girl 🙂

My beautiful,head-strong girl,you have taught your mummy and daddy that parenting is not a piece of cake.. Its a bit of give and take..its a big learning and for that I am grateful. You taught me that I don’t know everything and that I need to find newer ways to get through to you. 
You are the most adorable,most loving little girl,Anan.. you smother me with kisses and tell me that you ‘wuv’ me a hundred times in a day and I love it.And then I ask you,do you love me or do you love Papa and you think. and then say..umm Papa! And I pout and you pat my head and say..’all fine..all fine..don’t cwy’ 
You have settled well in your daycare(touchwood) and are so independent.You like to eat your meals yourself,take off your clothes yourself.As soon as we come home from outside(school,park,anywhere else),you sit down,just outside the laundry door and take off your socks and shoes.Makes my heart melt every single time! Feeding you your lunch or snack is a luxury for me,because you don’t let me baby you..But when I ask you,”Are you my baby or my big girl?”You always say,Baby. yes,you are my baby.. my last one:) 
Your love for your sister continues to grow,but sibling rivalry has kicked in.You have to do everything she does.I was kissing her good night one night,when you decided to sleep with her and you observed us quietly and then covered your face and started crying,saying your new favorite phrase-“I can’t take it anymore”O.M.G. I had a hard time keeping a straight face while trying to calm you down.
Your other favorite phrases are:
I hate it!(not sure where/who you picked it from)
Whatever you do,DONOT break/drop it.
Gimme one more chance..the cutest!
Godu Me!(Meaning -Pick me up)
And – Ohh Mannnnnnnn..said with the most frustrated expression ever!

At 3,your favorite foods are-cocktail sausages,daal,chicken nuggets,any other chicken dish,chickpeas,kidney beans,maggi noodles,strawberries and yogurt. You happily taste and eat other things too but these are a definite hit.

You keep me on my toes,you tire me,you challenge me and you make me earn my mummy stars..but you love me unconditionally and completely.You make me smile and make me complete in a way no-one else can. You will give me my grey..you are the noise of my life,but I won’t have it any other way..for it will be dull life,without the sparkle you add to it..
Love you forever my little baby…
Hugs n kisses from
Your little Mumma 

This year Rakhi was quite low key.We were all sick last week and Ms.An is still sick. So, there were no fancy meals,no handmade rakhis..but once we got showered and ‘dolled up’ the mood changed..well not Anan’s but that’s OK.
But here’s  this year’s Rakhi in pictures 🙂

Again!! Despite my best intentions,another month has rolled by and I haven’t had chance to keep up with blogging.
I have minimised my facebook time,but I still end up blogging in my head most of the times.On other times,I am just too tired. Seriously,I doff my hat to the mums who work full-time 5 days a week.I work part-time,3 days a week and still fall behind in housework,in just about everything. Some days I am so tired that even keeping up with the kids chatter is a big deal.Cooking seems like a chore..Now,I L.O.V.E. cooking and when it seems like a chore,its not a good feeling.
So,I have come up with a strategy(LOL!! I think I have!)The plan is to stick to quick healthy/wholesome meals on the days that I work.Quick and wholesome being the keywords.And on my days-off,I can plan something more elaborate.So far we have done pizzas,sandwiches,pulav on work-nights and dal-rice-sabji/chicken n fried rice,dosa-chutney,paratha or something of that sort on the days that I don’t work. But those days,just fly by,so quickly thanks to my firecracker,Ms.An!!! So my trusty slowcooker has been dusted and is being put to good use now 🙂
This is what I cooked last night 🙂

 

Slow Cooked Cashew Chicken with Vegetable fried rice 🙂

I followed this recipe with a few tweaks. I didn’t have any Vinegar at hand and so omitted it. And I added chopped up celery,red& green Capsicum and onions. I forgot to add the red chili flakes and it was still perfect! 

The chicken was so soft and flavorful.This will be a regular in our house 🙂

Hopefully,I will be back again..n soon 

xox

Trish