Magic Seven

It was Ashwin's 7th birthday on Friday the 25th - an event he has been anticipating eagerly for the past one year. He spoke endlessly about what toy he would like and what chocolates he would like to take for his friends. On the eve of the birthday he told me that Tushar had asked him for 4 chocolates, Jonathan 5 and two others 3 each. Though in the end he had only 5 Cadbury's Dairy Milk to give  his special friends after distributing in class!
Ash still thinks his birthday is for the few hours in the evening when he cuts a cake - this time again a chocolate truffle - and we sing Happy Birthday. This year we had some guests - a lil girl living downstairs, V's colleagues and Ash's tuition master.

Day out

It was Mama and daughter's day out today. With V and Ash away in Kerala for 3 days, Mira was beginning to miss them sorely. Saturday evening I took her to Mcdonald's for burger and icecream - all taboo food when Ash is around - after picking her up from a friend's place.
(The subsitute maid from Kerala not having materialised, we ended up sending Mira to a friend's place on Thursday and Friday, and another friend's place on Saturday while I was away at work - she thoroughly
enjoyed it as there are kids her age in both houses.)
Today the two of us watched Gnomeo and Juliet at the nearby theatre over a tub of popcorn. And topped it with supper at Pizza Hut and then at KFC (since Mira wasnt happy with the former).

Interregnum

It is chaos at home once again. The maid left on Saturday since she has the wedding of her niece coming up - once cant vouch for the veracity of her reasons but since she had given us and the agency sufficient notice, we cant blame her. The substitute from the agency has not materialised yet though she was supposed to arrive on Sunday. After promising to despatch a lady from Thrissur on Monday, today the agent promised to send a Muslim lady from Kannur tomorrow (Tuesday happened to be a holiday in Kerala for Milad un Nabi). It is the first time we will have a nanny who is not either Xian or Hindu.
In the meantime, V is working from home in the afternoon hours so that the children are not alone. Luckily, being on the late shift I am at home till afternoon. It also means I have to churn up some edible fare. After a jittery start, today I managed to cook a full-fledged meal and also attend to the numerous other chores around the house.
The kids have not been too much trouble, so it makes the supervision easier. The TV is all forgotten as they play their own little big games - cooking, singing, or playing school together. Since both are of the same wavelength, it makes play easy. While Mira is the director, Ash is the willing actor. The moment she says "Action, start", he seems to understand what the game is all about.
Ash is preparing to go to Kerala this weekend with his Appa for a review with the homeopath. He has just recovered from a bout of fever and is neckdeep in Mid-term exams.

Little performers

Yesterday was Junior Evening at the kids' school. Mira was in a dance sequence from the movie Endhiran. A fusion music that made it convenient for the kids to dance in three different attires - the first batch danced in shiny robotic costumes, the second batch did a duet in Western attire (M was in that) and the third batch did an elementary bharatnatyam in traditional wear (pattu pavadai-blouse).
Here she is with her best friend Lia before the performance, on the stage, and at the park last week with Ash.

The picture below has Ash's peers singing "There's hole in my bucket". He enthusiastically spotted some of his friends for me as we watched the programme from the balcony. 

Talking of Endhiran, there was another of Mira's witty comments this weekend when she went out with her dad for a haircut.

A lady at the shop was calling out to her aunt, "Sithi, sithi, please come." (Sithi in Tamil means one's mother's younger sister, I think.)

Turning back, Mira wondered loudly: "Oh, she has been named after Endhiran!" In the movie Endhiran (The Robot), Rajni the Robot is called Chitti. Sithi and Chitti are pronounced almost alike.

It won Mira a flying kiss in reverse (Tamilians imitate a kiss by touching the cheek of the person with the fingers of the right palm pressed together and drawing the said palm to their own lips with a kissing sound) from the lady in question.

The past month

The maid complains that Ash called her some names or kicked her butt because she didnt let him watch Pogo on TV.
Ash is furious, and tells her: "Ammama,dont lie. Jesus will cut your tongue if you lie."
Something we warn him about, and which he has conveniently used in turn.
**
The maid to V: Sir, shall I serve you lunch?"
It has Mira perplexed.
"Sir! Are you a sir? Do you teach? Are you a master like our piano master?"

Mira is gearing up for the Junior evening in her school on the 5th. She happens to be in some programme.
Ash doesnt seem to be in any. His skin is not looking very good, and for his sake I want the Chennai winter over. Chenai is pretty cool and pleasant in December-January. Right now, we have embarked on a homeopathic treatment for his eczema. I cant say there are any positive signs though the skin looks smoother in some parts. Apparently the treatment brought a favorable change in someone my inlaws know. The doctor is based in Alleppey.