Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Five *****


The simplest cake - a chocolate truffle - we could order owing to Ash's allergies. This is almost becoming a standard, since V is against theme cakes with a lot of fresh cream in colour. Though Mira initially asked us for a cake modelled on the new cuckoo clock at home, she was terribly confused yet excited when she saw the catalogue at the baker's. She couldnt decide between Dora and a train, while I tried to push for a snow man which had just two colours and not much cream. V's decision prevailed, however.

With my dad, who makes it a point to visit us on the kids' birthdays almost always. Early morning, ready for school.... She reportedly got a peck on her cheek from Ash's teacher last year when she gave her a chocolate - it made her happier than any other gift she got.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Our Medallist

Last Saturday was Sports Day for kindergarteners at the kids' school.
Mira won her first prize - a bronze - in the Snow white-dwarf running
race. Here she is with her 'dwarf' and also with her present best
friend Lia.

Friday, September 17, 2010

A new fever

Work has kept me busy and at home - of what lil waking hours I spent there - the kids especially Ash.  Once upon a time I thought my life would get easier once the kids crossed 5 years. But now I have a new hassle - school tests and examinations. Ash has a test almost every day, and now it is time for the first term exam. The past week had been one of revision exams, which he didnt do as well as he did the July cycle tests. Anyway, the tests and marks least bother Ash despite me threatening him that the headmistress will chuck him out if he didnt do reasonably well.
Until last year I didnt have this worry as kindergarteners are exempted from this ordeal. And since I dont see Ash from 8 a.m. (when he leaves for school) to 8 p.m. (when I return home), the hours I can spend drilling something into his inattentive mind is very few. To top it, V who has no patience with schoolwork, insists that the poor child goes to bed early for a healthy start the next day.
Ashwin's scores in his English and Maths exams are above average, but Tamil continues to be a hurdle for both of us. We mean to find a tutor who can come home in the evenings to teach him.
For the next week's exams, I mean to depend on my dad who is arriving in time for Mira's 5th birthday.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Obit

Bruno, our labrador, died yesterday afternoon in my hometown following a liver failure. Born in Chennai, he had made the arduous journey to Kerala by train 12 years back as a two-month-old.

He had been a guard cum companion for my parents all these years. I wish I had been able to see his earnest, loving face one last time before he breathed his last.

p.s. I had written a long post - from the heart - in the morning but Blogger failed me and the post disappeared. If am in the mood, I might add to this later.

Saturday, September 04, 2010

Juicy day

Ash tells us that there is a new canteen/stall in his school which stocks puffs, cakes, juices and chocolates. So would papa mind giving him a lil pocket money so that he can buy something that agrees with his system - such as a chocolate?
We are dumbfounded. We have never let him handle money so far.
And there is more to come. Monday is Teacher's Day, and so the teacher has asked them not to bring any books to learn. Only color pencils, snacks and a JUICE. He stresses on the juice and wants me to buy it immediately.
"Will you forget? Get me an Appy or mango juice." The teacher's instructions are just what he needed to break free from his diet food.
So the juice in a tetrapak was bought today itself.
But I am not sure if it will outlive two days of a six-year-old's devotion and curiosity.

On the penultimate day of reporting duty at the photography festival, the boss of the English writing dept, came and told me: When we both a...