Smart Stuff

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jarand proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, t here's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

Please share this with someone you care about. I JUST DID!

Bryan Adams !! One of my favs

Bryan Adams is one of the artists whose music inspires me. Here is a video from the movie Robinhood-Price of Thieves.
Happy Listening !

Shakira - Whenever Whereever

We are the world - Michael Jackson

One of my favorites .. I've decided to start embedding my favorite videos to my blog moving forward.

Today's menu includes Khaman Dokla .. Its a Gujrathi dish which I love.

Last evening we trimmed our plants in the front garden. Here is a comparison photo spaced one year apart.

THEN:

NOW

From Mom to Mom

I was visiting a bookstore (it was mommy time) while Archu and Hubby were home, I saw a woman fondling her 4 month old baby.

Oh, I must say my heart was filled with love and memories of my baby that tiny, clinging on to my shoulder. What a feeling. Everytime I see a mom with an infant girl slightly younger than Archu, it makes me want to hold Archu tight and give her a snuggly kiss and say and I love you.

Here is an interesting read from the book titled ‘Chicken soup for the soul–from women to women’.

---
Quoting-

‘‘I had 2 toddlers and the thought of waking up in the morning fully rested, instead of having my eyes pried open by tiny fingers was quite attractive. I had heard of the term ‘empty nest’ and correctly assumed that in an empty nest, I could wear clothes without spit up stains, finish sentences when speaking to my husband, carry a purse without squeak toys or pacifiers or cookie crumbs.

Oh, the beauty of dinner time without spilled milk, a house without the background sounds of crying, walls without sticky fingerprints, and being able to sleep throughout the entire night.

However, the ensuing years had automatically solved many of the distasteful parts of motherhood – No one would be spitting up on me, or cry to be fed in the middle of the night, nobody to be bathed or dressed or to have their shoes tied ten times a day. I tried not to look at the two empty bedrooms as I passed by them. Even though the beds were made, the rooms lacked character. The one-eyed bear was missing from his favorite spot on the floor. School books, papers and cans of hair spray had all disappeared.’’

End Quotes.

---

I was intrigued by this reality , for I have seen many women who have sent their daughters and sons to other places and miss them dearly. Very good narration by the author.

Things I have learnt

I have learnt some valuable life lessons over the years and want to compile them so my kids can benefit.

- Health is wealth, We realize it most only when we get sick.

- Your spouse can be your best friend.

-You are your child's hero.

-Past is history, Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift, that's why its called 'Present'.

- Don't worry about what people think of you.

- Greet with a warm smile, no matter your mood.

- It's all in your mind.

-When someone says something, listen and appreciate.

- Watch your words.

- Work when you want to, also take a break when you have to. (Applies more so to women)

- Your baby has one childhood. Relish it with him/her leaving no regrets.

- Your parents love you the most, and you love your parents as much as they love you inspite of any past arguments.

- Never make someone feel like they are less worthy than you.

- Never show off, because everyday is not sunday. Things can change.

- It helps to put yourself in their shoes. (Empathy)

- Its ok not to have that tight belly. You are a mother, and that is the proof.

-What works for him/her won't work for you, because each one is unique.

- Team work - the most important thing on earth

- Don't expect a lot.

- Its not easy to make best friends as an adult, as it was in childhood.

- Friendships grow and ripen with time.

- Some things are genetic. It came to you from your parents.

- As we age, we get more peaceful and accomodative.

- Believe in god. If you do not believe in god, believe that there is a super-natural power.

-Advice is the easiest thing to give in this world.

-Sometime in life, you will go on a journey. It will be the longest journey you have taken. It is the journey to find yourself.

- The grass is greener on the other side.

-You just have to have a dream. Thats all it takes. Finish your course at your own pace. Again, don't worry about what a Tom, Dick or Harry thinks. Your life is yours. Its all same at the end.

- Learn the rules very well .. only then you can break them

- You are not liked for who your are, but for how you make others feel

- There is no point trying to prove anything to anybody.

USCIS - Most of us know what the abbreviation stands for

** Immigration Services **

Most of us in the US would have heard of this term at some point , I can guarantee it (at least for those of you who have moved from another country). I have been waiting for the extremely over rated 'Advance Parole' document. The name itself seems like some criminal seeking some parole .. wierd .. is'nt it ..

Advance Parole (called AP) is a travel document which an EAD holder needs to re-enter the country. This is serious stuff people ! Finally I found that my AP has been mailed out and should reach me anytime. Thank you USCIS for mailing it, after the gazillion service requests and a trip to the local office and daily phone call for follow ups !!!!!!

This weekend had been crazily busy

Past few weeks have been so hectic, I am going to try to describe it. I' ve been trying to catch up with many things - here's our friday,saturday and sunday briefly summarised.

Friday morning - I wake up, feed her , play with her , start cooking, feed her, try to finish cooking, put her to sleep, eat , talk to friends, try to browse online, clean up on yday's mess, organize toys, organize the closet, visit the library, spend some time online and after hubby comes home, we call up another couple to dine out at pavani - also undergoing the same 'catch up syndrome' as us .. why ? they too have a baby - and remember Houston's extensive geography - every little outing is a long journey and with the heat !

what happens next will suprise you - the darn power went off at the restaurant ! yes I repeat, there was no power at the restaurant ! why ? blame the passing severe thunder storms .. and we had to eat in the dark, with a tiny candle by us, ofcourse no AC and 2 kids amongst us .. sweaty as it gets , My friend and I had dinner first, while the husbands watched the kids outside to get some air, then it was our turn. Finally power came back at 10 pm, and we were back home by 11 pm ( remember Houston drives are like mini journeys)

phew .. Archu did not go to bed until 12, so we were up playing the 'please sleep sweetie' game ! This wrapped up my friday ......................................

Saturday - something silly happened to me .. sometimes its nice to laugh at some thing silly you have done .. my first yoga class was scheduled at 6.45 on SUNDAY. I routinely awoke 6-7 times between 12 and 5 to either feed or pat her to sleep .. and after one such awaking, I assumed it was time for my yoga class and crazily shot for the garage .. where are my keys ! oh man I don't want to be late on my first day ... So I drive up to the location, and wait for like 10 minutes - all decked up in yoga clothes bla bla ..

I looked at my cell phone and made the important realization - darn its not sunday !!! and I was half asleep in the car ! Ok I reach home already sweaty (Houston heat) at 7 am :-( Duh

When I get back home hubby and I have a hearty laugh ! OK lets make us cofee ... what there is no milk - WE NEED TO DO GROCERY SHOPPING ! OH man .. I looked at my things to do list and felt a spin - call lawn mainenance, buy mulch, closet clothes, Laundry, wash dishes, read to the baby. Luckily we had creamer in the pantry for emergencies like this .. which happens rearely.

While we think of all this, Archu's nap time has come .. we are lured into doing our chores .. but hey - when the baby sleeps - you sleep - and its the weekend ! gimme a break ! We have a pooja function to attend this evening ! Plus I need to start India Packing today - I bring down 4 huge suitcases from the top floor - now I need to also accomodate india shopping for everyone .. which means I need time and energy.

While hubby and baby head to the 'Garden center' to buy the long due Mulch, I cook up sambar and avial with rice, and also make pappu mammu ready for baby, she will be tired and hungry when she gets back. As planned, they return, I feed her solid, we have lunch - and its time to fold laundry clothes - as I fold clothes, I notice baby is putting something in her mouth - noooooooo archu dont .. I scream .. as I run to her.

Still the grocery has to be done - remember. We order pizza for evening, and while hubby drives to pick up, I quicky dress up in sari for the evening function, and dress her up in pavdai. and ofcourse, makeup does consume time .. He is back, we eat pizza, and rush to the evening function.

Time to socialize. Function goes well.. Archu is hungry - time to feed her - and we eat dinner - pose for photos and get back at 11 pm .. to find that archu has started coughing. My heart skipped a beat ! With impending travel on the cards, and archu coughing vigorously, I put her to sleep and call the Hospital after hours nurse for advice. While all this happens, we fall asleep, only to be woken again with some sounds from the crib .. yes I need to wake up again .. or no - or maybe its hubby's turn !

Sunday morning is here ! Remember I mentioned about my yoga class - yes ! This time I did not make a mistake .. drove fully prepared .. learnt some asanas with the other ladies ! Came back home - and guess what .. today is also vinayaka chaturti, avani avatam, my friend's seemantham. So Off I head to shower, dress up in sari, make dosas for hubby for breakfast while he takes care of archu, and I am off to the seemantham ( traditional baby shower pooja).

When I get back, baby has been fed and hubby is off to the temple for avani avatam (sacred thread changing ceremony) and I take over the house hold chores. I was extremely sleepy when he returned. We all go into sleep mode again. Now i have some voicemails from friends whom I had invited home to celebrate vinayaka chaturti. We also have grocery shopping still to do. What did we do - called our friends and explained - ofcourse they were darlings , they understood and decided to drop by at a later date ! Love you guys !

In between all these, we have to call parents in India, since its the weekend, to catch up. I still have calls to return .. And as far as my weekend goes, its over, and I am all set for Monday morning !

Rewind to 2008

Last August I was pulling myself to work each day with a 7 month pregnant belly, dreading the downtown traffic, getting ready for the baby shower and checking all the things that had to be bought to bring home baby ..

This August, I am excited about my India trip next month .. with my kutti ladoo .. I've never travelled alone internationally, so I am spending a lot of time carefully planning .. What change in dynamics .. My list itself is pretty long I consider, now I have Archu's long list of items to pack .. not to mention the 100s of diapers that need to dump into the baggage .. gotta be fun and I am loving it.

The 10 month milestone

My baby is growing up ! She is beginning to understand her surroundings little by little .. Some of the milestones that she has reached (between her 8th and 10th month) are jotted below ..

- responds to her name

- holds self to stand up

- sits for extended periods

- crawl very well

- drink from her sippy cup on her own

- plays with imaginary characters in the air

- she understands 'NO'

- likes to play 'peek-a-boo' [like hide-n-seek]

-reaches for spoon when I feed her

-use thumb and finger pincer grasp to pick things up

- drop thins down and look for them

- very attentive when i sing to her

- bang objects together

- loves to see herself in the mirror

- pass objects from one hand to the other

- separation anxiety - which means she needs to be within mom's eye view .. if she does not, then automatically she will cry

Hubby and I are working on a few essential things that we think is a good practice:

- daily morning brush her 3 teeth

- daily listen to slokas (prayers)

- tv time only for 15 minutes

- play time with toys

- feed her solids seating her on high chair, that way there are some rules while eating

- daily reading , spending some time in barnes n nobel childrens section

- sleeping in her crib

- trips to our nearby park play area

- introducing all our regular food to her

- socializing

MISC:

1. even though she sleeps through the night, there are still phases every night where she will stand up crying .. we are working on this one every night :-))

2.car seat tantrums - she does not like the restrictive feeling in the car seat and screams herself to sleep eventually

3. she is very friendly by nature and likes socializing. But as a mother, I have my concerns here. She will eventually need to understand that talking to strangers in NOT OK.

Here are some educative links:

10 month week 1:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-10-month-olds-development-week-1_1477306.bc

10 month week 2:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-10-month-olds-development-week-2_1477309.bc

10 month week 3:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-10-month-olds-development-week-3_1477312.bc

10 month week 4:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-10-month-olds-development-week-4_1477315.bc

Happy parenting sweetheart !

Being Organized

I love to be clutter free. It frees my mind. When new items come, old items eventually will need to go. What is the point in hoarding ? Everything has its place in my house, I just like it that way. It's who I am. I always compartmentalize and organize. This way I know I'm in control. I like to be perfect in what ever I do. "Either do it well or don't do it at all" is my mantra. I stack up on bins and make sure to group similar items and store them away neatly. A clutter free life is a blissful life. Holds good for all the emotional baggage that we may accumulate along the way. Best to simply drop them and move on.

We do not remember days; we remember moments

This is so true .. that we remember moments. Moments that stay in our hearts always .. moments that we look back at and feel our hearts fill with emotions -- it was one such evening today.

Our friends had dropped buy for tea and I served them upma that I made for tiffin and chai with salt crackers.

In my earlier blog, I mentioned about our wedding CD. Well, today we saw our reception CD. I must confess, it was a reception very well planned by my parents and in-laws. Close to a 1000 people attended to bless us. I realise its full value now that I live 10's of 1000's of miles away from my home country.

It reminded me of my college class mates, work collegues, friends who grew up with me in my neighborhood and most importantly my entire family. Ladies adorned with jewels and men folk striking casual conversations made the atmosphere festive. There we were on the dias, center of attention that evening .. dressed in a orange-gold silk sari with gold ornaments standing beside my handsome hubby. Well.. like they say, we remember moments ..

All I can say is .. We are very much looking forward to Archu's Ayush Homam (Traditional 1st Birthday) in Chennai on Oct 25th. I am sure it will be an occasion to meet all our relatives at one go and revive lost connections.

Homemade Bhel Puri - made my day

Why am I feeling refreshed at 11.40 pm . .. 

We took some time to revive old memories today:- Saw our wedding DVDs. Oh boy .. I was filled with memories .. 1 Made Therati Pal (Milk sweet) was remined of my good ol days at home with parents .. On youtube, we saw many many hindi songs from bollywood.. Archu enjoyed her swing time at the park .. Wrapped up post-dinner with bhel puri .. luckily I had all the ingredients at home

We have this laptop connected to our 52'' TV and the best thing about this arrangement is that we can use the TV as the monitor, and with a wireless keyboard and mouse, we see all movies (Indian/Bollywood) from the comfort of our couch 6 ft away ! Neat .. ain't it ? I know netflix does it, but with Netflix, I cant find the 'Indian' movies and serials (soaps) etc

Titanic movie was running on TNT channel ! Its one of my all time favorites and couldn't help but watch it (again!).. A right blend of drama and romance coupled with emotions; makes me shed tears. Ofcourse I am referring to 'happy-tears' here !

PS: Bhel Puri is an Indian snack.

Fun to be a mom

Moms are awesome ! Never fully realised that until I became a mommy myself .. this tiny sweet bundle could literally have me dancing to her tune ! Is'nt that amazing .. well .. atleast new moms out there will know what I am talking about. LOVE YOU ARCHU

On a lighter note .... Read on

Sleep:

What is 'undisturbed sleep' anybody .. ? When was the last time I slept all night ? wait im thinking hard ! maybe 10 months back ..... wow wowww

Clean up after play time:

let toys be scattered all day long. It doesnt help to clean up ... coz guess what .. they will be stewn right the way they were ...

Mom is the best toy:

Try buying a zillion new toys for an infant .. well after the short attention span .. you know who the best toy is --- U

Mommy I've pooped:

It's amazing how they crawl up to you when they have pooped. Clever :-)

Outing:

ok pack the diaper bag, make sure their tummy is full .. pick the car that has the stroller .. oh did I forget a toy ...

Grocery Shopping:

You do it .. I'll stay home with baby .. oh ok .. are you sure .. allright ...

Eating paper:

Noooooooooooooooooooooo baby .. don't eat it !

Laptop:

Where is my ALT key .. geeeee its missing

The point is .. motherhood is a wonderful journey. When ur baby does so many cute things, it melts your heart. Motherhood teaches you patience and pure love & being a mom changes us for the better. Love being a mother.

Friendship

The most beautiful discovery best friends can make is that they can grow separately without growing apart ! So many friends through school and college and work .. Eventually we all go different ways as life takes us. Many get married, move to newer cities .. what if we move to new countries .. we tend to start our life all over again .. responsibilities increase and priorities change. All of this demand time. Could it affect friendships?

I cherish my friends and what I love the most is everyone has something special about them. I always focus on the positives that each person has to offer, because remember, no two persons are the same ! What could be more pleasure than having girl friends with whom you can chit-chat :)

Thanks to the social networking sites, I can (so can you all) keep in touch with all my friends - thank you orkut, facebook, twitter, etc etccc. As years go by, I have realized the value of relationships, to have that support network - both emotionally and spiritually.

I also came across this saying somewhere, quote "Life is too short to stress yourself with people who dont deserve to be an issue in your life" end quote. Think about it, how true is that !! Give it a thought ..

:-) :-)

Decisions Decisions

If you are a woman, if you are married, if you wanted kids or had one recently, if you have a good academic degree, and when you have a well-paid job with benefits in a big company - you have been where I have been.

It is not possible for husband and wife to pursue career at a 100% pace, when we have dreamed to set a foundation of a strong and loving family bond, and especially when we have planned to raise kids. I made the decision to take a break from work. I was pregnant, and working, and going to graduate school for Masters degree. That is a lot. People may not know, but that truly is a lot of weight on your shoulder. People may judge you, ask you ton of questions, make you feel like you did something awfully wrong, but hey, as long as you can afford it, why not enjoy being with your little darling kids that you created ?

I have enjoyed my time with my precious darling at home and I am fortunate to have a supportive husband who stood by me during the times I have had to take some major decisions.  I feel good after having an open discussion with couple of friends yesterday.

Bottling up emotions tend to manipulate your thinking. It is always best to express yourself so that you can have a clear and pure conscience.

Tiny feet tiny hands and a smile that melts all hearts

yep thts my baby for you !! all of 9 months and trying to stand by herself clinging to anything from sofa to our stairs .. cant believe it .. Today I made peas pulao; kathrikai curry (egg plant curry) and vendakai sambar ( okra sambar) .. and listening to my fav hindi songs ... been a while since I heard any mohd rafi and kishore kumar songs .. Of late I have been listening to tamil .. have to catch up with the hindi side of me also LOL

Yday was her first play date with her same aged friend (they live in the opposite house from us) It was fun .. I went in the afternoon and chit-chatted with her while the kids played around .. and did I mention, I have a baby scrap book where I have jotted down all of her firsts and captured all kodak-moments :))

The last 6 months have been very socially active .. been meeting friends at parties or potlucks or bday parties. The latest one was a park get together organized by desis living in our community .. was lot of fun indeed

Blogging is nice actually. Mine may not be the most thought provoking blog in the world, but it is mine to cherish .. helps keep memories and best of all ... helps me relive sweet memories when I read it and go .. wow what was I thinkinggg :-)

Back with my blog ... after a long gap

I am finally back to blogging .. atleast thts what im hoping for ! Its been pretty busy with my beautiful cuddly daughter who is almost 9 months old now ... whaaaat already 9 mon ? yeah time has flown by

Memories of my parents visit still linger fresh iin my head .. Its wierd but i remember each and everyday since my baby was born -- our tiny bundle of joy --- wow I remember holding her in my hand for the first time tears rolling down my cheeks .. with hubby dear by my side .. Its been a journey ... I've learnt so much and matured like never before ... what little mattered so much don't matter anymore .. Motherhood is wonderful and it has taught me so much ...

anyways .. here is a quick summary of all my activities since my last blog (oct 16). It so happened a few days after that blog I was put on bedrest due to preterm labor and guess what .. I delivered within a couple of weeks (thank heavens my parents arrived just in time or hell would have broken loose)

That was just the start of my happiness ... the sleepless nights and the post-partum hormones did their part and eventually said BYE-BYE to me .. yayyyyy ! We enjoyed so much , so many visitors came home, so many gifts for the baby, amma cooked daily for us and it was truly a blessing to have someone take care of you :-)

Appa left after a while .. but amma stayed for the entire 6 mon and I remember coming back early from work to take amma out ..

Eventually work got overwhelmingly tiring and stressful and I decided to quit, to stay home to take care my home, baby and hubby dearest. Man .. this is the best decision in my life till now .. what relief and happiness .. and guess feel energitic and fresh most of the time ... been able to try out new dishes and cook daily :-) , play with my baby and most important of all .. be there for my loved ones always !