Wo(a)ndering thoughts!!!

​Being a mom is the only job where you are simultaneously a CEO, a personal chef, a punching bag, and completely ignored—all while being paid exclusively in "core memories."  Every phase of parenting is a chaotic mix of “I need a nap” and “Oh my gosh, my heart is melting.” ​Thankfully, mother nature gave us selective amnesia. We completely forget the tantrums and only remember the glimmers. ​Since my teen son (Aa) is currently tolerating my existence, I wanted to document a few recent wins before he realizes I’m not cool: ​The other day, I poured my heart out, telling him he is my absolute number-one priority in this chaotic world. He was listening with the fierce intensity only a teenager staring at a smartphone can muster. Out of nowhere, he muttered, "Yeah, you’re mine too." I told him that would change one day when he gets a girlfriend, and that's totally fine. He looked up and said, "Nah, you come first always." Brb, crying into the laundry basket...

May is officially here, which means it’s time to celebrate someone special- it is Mom’s birthday! When I asked my 75-year-old friend Christine what her favourite season is, while we were sitting in the garden watching the fall colours on a sunny weekend, she said September without a beat. I thought she liked Spring, so I asked her again, 'Do you mean Spring?' She sweetly replies back,' No!, September. It is Mum's birthday. This is the person who has forgotten so many little details of her life. No matter how old you get, some people in our lives have big impacts, espacially moms have that kind of power. Dont you think?! Back in my "I know everything" phase, I swore I’d never be like my mother. Now that I’ve actually matured a little (Ahem!), I’ve realised that if I can be even 50% of the woman she is, I’ve absolutely nailed it. Of course, I could have done without the "family heirlooms" she passed down—specifically the ability to stress out over lite...

If you read my previous post about the Mic-Drop , this sequel will make perfect sense. After Aa’s triumphant scoreboard success, I had to document the recent incident for the record. You see, in this house, Fridays and Saturdays espcially in summer, aren't for relaxing. There is no such thing as TGIF; there is only TGIFS  (Thank God It’s Finally Sunday), because the rest of the weekend is just back-to-back cricket tournaments. Last Friday was the usual weekend sprint on Friday. Aa gets exactly five minutes to transform from his school uniform into his cricket uniform. You’d think by mid-season he’d have the drill down on what's required for the game night. Errr!1 WRoNg!! I’m the mother who knowssss—I have "History-Vision." I know he’s going to forget something because I’ve seen it a thousand times before. Like a responsible mum, I reminded him about his water bottle. He hit me with the classic: "I knowwwwww, Maaa! Stop telling me what to do!" He grabbed the...

Welcome to the latest episode of "Things My Son Thinks I Broke," where the situations are tiny but the reactions are massive! My theory is that whenever A has a free day, he must create some miniature-sized drama to ruin the day, and I am, of course, the unsuspecting co-star. This particular Saturday was supposed to be a fun day—no sports for the first time in eight months, a beautiful sunny winter day, and a road trip with a packed lunch and snacks! What could possibly go wrong? PC:Google image Turns out, me trying to get ready is what goes wrong. I get ready and come out to see that G was giving A a serious dressing-down. This was my first sign of trouble since arguments are usually my territory. I quickly discovered the crime: apparently, the Eiffel Tower was broken. Not the real one, mind you, but a cardboard replica A had built five years ago. He was furious, and I, in a moment of maternal brilliance, decided to lie. "I didn't break it," I said, " alt...

I don't know it's the DNA or it's simply the country we live in or the sport G is passionate about or the exposure he gets all through the year..  It's something,  something makes A believe he will become a cricketer one day and play for Australian team..In our recent trivia time I asked him "Who will be a superstar cricketer in the year 2030".. Guess what he answered !! "Ofcourse, its AG!!" G tries to bring him to support India,  but it never happens.. A supports OZ even when they are in their worst form.. Recently I gather to worst of my nightmare,  2019 and 2020 is the year for cricket lovers..  First it's summer in OZland and then to IPL then to World Cup.. Before we know it,  it's summer  again in OZ then in 2020- its 20-20 world cup back in OZ..  I should seriously think about getting a second TV. It's about time,  I'm a cricket illiterate in the house everyone else believes its a religion.. and I'm not ashamed!!...

Dear Santa, Its time of the year you are remembered in many ways, shopping centers having a money run to take picture with you, they have sessions for pets too now (Yes you heard it right, pets now get to take picture with you), kids busy writing their #wishlist and #letters. Netflix makes most of it by highlighting all those Christmas family movies. Families start to put up the (mostly fake plastic) trees and lights.  It is officially started to feel like festive season, my cousin from north America says they had snow storm already, although it’s quite warm down under during Christmas. I’m sure you would enjoy the warm nights when you drop in through the chimney. My little one still wonders how you get to our house 'coz we don’t have chimney. <I know he is secretly wishing for one now , please don't fulfill his wish on this, I have no idea how to use one for starters. Shh!! don't tell him that..> Anyhoo, you might be wondering what am I doing here ...

I wrote beauty and the beast when my little boy was 4yrs old, it was difficult to explain him why we have different skin color. Now he is 6.5yrs and I think he is fairly mature for his age. The same old question popped up recently but this time, he had a solution. ‘Mom, I was born in Australia and why do I still have different color?’ ‘Baby, its doesn’t matter where you were born, we are still your parents. You get what we got’.  He thought about it for a while and said ‘ Why can’t we all have same color, like everyone in this world’ . It really melted my heart hearing him say that, in his little mind he had a solution for unfairness. But.. Yes, there is a big BUT… How do I tell him that babies get killed in some parts of this world just because it’s a GIRL. How do I tell him that there are children in this world who had to walk 5 km everyday to get a decent education? How do I explain him that people kill each other and call it honor kil...

“Mom, I wish I had a Genie” my 6yr old tells me first thing in the morning half-awake in his bed. I kiss and tell him “Me too!!.. “ I wish I had a Genie who can do the convincing job of making you eat veggies/fruits, I wish I had a Genie who can do the arguments with you when it comes to hard-parenting, I wish I had a Genie who can make us dinner and lunch   just like that so I can spend more time with you, I wish I had a Genie that can help me erase the memories that gives me mommy guilt, I wish I had a Genie who can make the day longer after we reach home so I can spend more time with you, I wish I had a Genie who can take us in the magic carpet on a ride to see talking animals and super heros, I wish I have a Genie who records everything we do together and play back those good laughs we had when I’m home alone after you grow up and fly away.. I wish I have a genie now..  I know I 'm only allowed 3 grants from Genie but.. I...

No thank you!! This is one sentence I hear a lot from A these days.. So much for keeping up on manners, he uses it in all the wrong places.     Me: A, we are off to temple in 10 mins.. A: No thank you ***************** Me: A , can you get my mobile from the table A: No thank you ***************** Me: A, practice your piano notes please A: No thank you ***************** Me: A, pick up all the things on the floor(mess he made) A: No thank you ***************** Me: A, get your reader and read it for me please A: No thank you ***************** Me: (A hugging me tightly) I’m getting late for work A, let me go.. A: No thank you ***************** Me: when will you go all chubby and cute again like when you were 2yrs.. A: No thank you ***************** See what I have to deal!!  Its no joke.. #lifeofA'sMom

Have you ever been interrogated?  I’ve been!!! Only recently.. Don’t try to guess who interrogated me!?.. It’s not my mom!! its not G!!  Yap,you guessed it right.. Just read on to see how it went.. Its school holidays, my curious gorge is home with granny.. I kept lot of activities/tasks to keep him busy at home. I usually pick A from school at 5'o clock. He is home today, so I don't need to worry about pickup. My train line is shut for maintenance during school holidays. I had to take different train which means I reach home little later than my usual time. He calls me exactly at 5’o clock when I’m just reaching the station (now he knows how to check time) A: Hello ma!! Me: Hey baby.. A: Where are you? Me: I’m in train?! A: but ..but its 5’o clock, you should be home by now!! You usually pick me up at 5!!?? Me: Yea Baby!! Today I’m in different train. This train only reaches the station at 5’o clock A: Why didn’t you take one train before? Me...

When I scream, he gets stubborn, When I plead, he ignores, When I ground him from cricket or watching TV he questions how long!!, When I bribe him with goodies, he bargains for more.. Nothing works.. My last weapon is to act dumb for a day ..   I tried not talking to him for a day to make  him realize I'm upset..But he kept talking to me the whole day, when I didn’t respond which he didn't seem to notice at all. < It’s so hard to be upset for a day with A, within 10 mins you just want to smile and talk>. But I had to literally remind myself I’m upset with him and should not talk to him for a day.. Well, I WAS upset..  In the end, I had to literally tell him that I’m upset and I’m not talking to him.. A's response was ‘ That’s ok, I can still talk to you ..’ grrrrr... It feels like Im both dumb and the dumber..  Can anyone help me?? I’m running out of IDEAS..

Typical Sunday morning.. A wakes up at 8.. Laze around till 8.25.. All the activities happen from here-on goes in S------L----O---T---H on a S----N----A----I----L speed.. Keep that in mind when you are reading this post <If only Time can stop/slow down for us..> All the begging and Pleading goes on till 8.25 to remind A about his class at 8.45.. He wouldn't move or show any interest in what I am saying.. 8.25: I’m thinking I  still have 20 mins to make A ready for his Swim class If I plan it right.. <Super Mom...Super Mom> 8.25: A! please drink the milk , you have to have shower before we go to your  swim class. A: I am not having any shower now!!! And I’m not going for Swimming today!’ ..  G talks to him about Cricket.. He forgets what he said and drinks his milk 8.30 A drinks his milk.. 8.32 Still lazing .. Not ready for shower.. <Imagine me telling him to have shower in repeat mode..> 8.34.. G distract him again talking abo...

My blog has been quite last few weeks as the first-time-school-parent getting used to school routines. I’m still not sure whether I’m doing it all and right.. I always have a feeling I missed something. Everyone asks how is he coping at school? My answer is he is coping very well much better than I am. His usual routine to and from & at home is same. But for me, I’m still getting used to the fact that I must remember to book/cancel his after care, make sure I read the news letters and all other 10 notifications from school EVERYDAY and making sure to send his absence notes to school when he is sick, other blahs. This is just administrative work, other than this, packing the lunch box, snack box, fruit box.. I can hear you saying ‘Tell me about it!’...Yea right, I do not remember having so many choices when I was a kid. There was only one break for lunch, we never had TWO snack break in school... Not just any snack, it has to be a healthy one, which is the hardest part......

Letter dated 25 th Jan 2018 Kannamma, Today is your last day at Joseph Kinder; you are about to start a new journey in  primary school from next week. Last few years has been a crazy fun ride for you. Totally positive experience from day 1.. Day 1 –I mean from the time you started in Korea. You started Korean play school Wiz Island in 2014 (Aug 8 to be precise) .Its more like a school with Uniforms, Excursions, activities in the class room and school bus etc.,  You were just 2yrs and 4 months when you started there.. I really can’t believe how you did it, you hardly spoke or formed a sentence during that time. You only knew few baby words, that didn’t stop you going every day for 5 hours.. Not just going but going to/from school on your own in School Bus . You had your Formal Mondays and picnic Wednesdays.. Other than that , Korean Playschool thought you lot of good things. You used to have Korean lunch every day at school with Kim, Rice, Soup, Kim chi. You had good...

Yesterday, A and I were waiting in the car while G went to pick up something from a shop.. Wait was lil longer than we expected as that shop had lot of customers, A was getting restless. To distract him ,  I said lets read a post from my last year blog. I read him a post of one of our conversations and we had a giggle.. G came back, we started riding..however the old post made me wanna read other ones, I started reading other ones to G and A loudly. Just after reading the next one, A was like "Ma, my ears are paining from your reading..Can we just listen to music instead?".. Did I mention he knows how to pull my leg!! But ME being me, I ignored him and kept going.. There was this post from last Aug about a conversation I had with him on re-birth  and how he wish to be a girl next time. A was like "No, I never said that!!, I don't want to be a girl ever".. I was like "Sorry babe its too late, what you said is recorded with timestamp"..   He was lik...

What do you know about Avatars?? If you know me well, this post isn't about James Cameron’s Avatar or Lord Vishnu’s* Avatar.  Its about A’s understanding of Avatar.. There are days he gets in to my nervous (and vice versa) , but there are times he just takes me by surprise. Few days back I was talking to G about a book I was reading and the topic went on to Buddha.. as always A interrupts us and asks ‘Who is Buddha?’ Me: He is another God or Angel who came to help us.. Like Jesus, Rama.. Another Avatar of God.. A: what is Avatar? Me: Avatar is another form of same thing.. like Vishnu Swamy taking different avatars to helps us, he came down as Turtle, Fish, lion, Krishna .... After few minutes...  A: Ma, you know even we are avatars??! Me: <Blank> okayyyy!!?? A: When we were little we look different and as we grow we keep changing..So we also have different Avatars just like Vishnu Swamy..  Me:  <Totally surprised by his response..St...

My baby A has graduated from his kinder today. He crossed the cub stage and going to Primary School starting from Feb 2018.. What can I say? It is emotional and nerve-racking for the mum. Schools are meant to be their REAL world. He seems to care-less, it is me and my mother’s instinct worries about everything. He is neither overly excited like he is going on a Holiday nor underplaying the curiosity when he talks about his new school here and there.. Down under especially in Victoria, Kids start with 4yr old Kinder garden (not compulsory although most do) offered by public/private child cares or independent/government schools and it is 15hrs per week .Kids start schooling from Primary school (Foundation Year then Grades 1  to 6 ) and move on to Secondary school(Grades 7  to 12) . As part of this Kinder to Foundation transition, most schools organise one-hour transition sessions once every week in Nov to spend time in the school and a half-day...

I used to be that person who remembers every detail of an incident/requirement in my project/meeting notes/an issue at work/an email which came few months back etc., Not just remembers, remember to the last detail. Senior colleague of mine used to check with me the recap of last meeting before we meet our vendors. Yes, I am so proud of it..Why not!!! ..  I’m sure what you are thinking now “Where are you going with self-praising post of yours’ ?”   Okay, I think I’m becoming a DORY!!  What!!!.Okay, NOT that dramatic yet!! But seems like I’m getting there. Those who haven’t watched Finding Dory yet, I’m talking about Forgetfulness or Absent-mindedness !! Recently, I'm experiencing lot of  'Oopsy I forgot' moments especially I forget where I keep my precious things, my important appointments, my tasks and actions. Remembering the last detail become thing of the  past. One good example from last week is when I forgot A’s water bottle to his tennis class.....

Kannamma, Remember your first flight with me when you were 11 months old, I was nervous as hell. Nevertheless, you were so playful and composed, not at all naughty or cranky. You slept most of the time and made my trip lot easier. It is always a pleasant trip when travelling with you. I must admit you are a natural traveller. Be it a new place or a new journey you are always excited and on-board. You started sitting on your own seat (in flight) when you were 2yrs. You even refused to share your seat with me (it was aisle seat for both of us – a walkway in between us) . You sat on your own, watching some cartoon and slept without a fuss. I just sat there looking at you whole night thinking you might fall down in your sleep.   Our first trip alone to Japan with our best friends, it was such a pleasant memory you and our darling Y created except for the fact you both literally fought every day for the right side window seat. You heard it right. There are two windo...