Hello 2009

I am back!
The first half of my holiday was a little more hectic than the second. That is because V was around till the 28th and my vacation until then involved family visits, shopping, the usual church trips to Manarcad and Parumala, and some beauty treatment for myself (since it works out cheaper in Kerala).
Our major engagements were a trip on the 24th to Ramamangalam near Ernakulam to meet the Ayurvedic physician of Vaidya Madom regarding Ash's eczema and my grandma's 90th birthday celebrations on the 26th. Hence Christmas sandwiched between the two was a tame affair save for a wonderful appam-chicken stew courtesy my dear mother-in-law. The kids had a lot of fun as all their cousins were around.
The second half involved taking care of the kids on my own at my parents' place in V's absence. Made challenging by Ash's ayurvedic treatment - the medicines to be mixed and given at fixed intervals, the bathing ritual, the diet etc. Anyway ever since we started it on the 26th, he has been sleeping well at night save for a night when he itched more after taking a chocolate with nuts at a family friend's place. Vaidya Madom was recommended to us by an allopathic surgeon in Changanachery whose grandchild suffered the worst form of eczema; her condition improved remarkably in 2 days after she began the treatment.
Ash's face is beginning to look better. The doctor had told us that eczema is called karappan in Ayurvedic parlance, so that gives us hope. Karappan is one of the oldest ailments that ayurveda treats.
I have also collected a bouquet of kashayams and oils for my backpain, but I am yet to take the plunge. The strict veg diet is making me postpone it.