Snow man

Today morning, V asked me if I wasnt blogging anything. Put a couple of my Himachal pictures, he advised.
I am. For want of time to write anything longer. Have a nice weekend, everybody!

For more pictures, click on the album.

Himachal trip

The jugglers

Vijaya tells me that she admires us for being able to juggle Ash's various hospital appointments and our individual jobs (which luckily for both of us allows a lot of flexibility, not to mention understanding bosses). Yesterday morning I took Ash to the opthalmologist about a stye in his eye before meetingVijaya for the speech therapy. Since his session started 15 minutes late, it turned upside down my plans of reaching office before a certain respected time. To make matters worse, Ash kicked up a tantrum for getting him a Nestle UltraPerk instead of a Cadburys Gems from the hospital lobby shop and howled all the way home.

The lobby shop is an unavoidable nuisance for all parents coming in with their wards. As I rush in dragging Ash to meet the appointment deadline, he tells me: "Amma, I dont want juice. I dont want chocolate." He only wants to stop a while to see the fish in the aquarium. But the moment he steps out of the Audiology dept after his class, he tells me: "I want Munch/ I want Gems". He knows I have the time then to buy him a chocolate.

Late in the evening, V takes Ash to his peadiatrician for a 2nd opinion on the oral steroid Depotex that the allergist has prescribed again and also about the immunisation shots for allergy. The paed says the allergy report is bullshit - since it is means that Ash cant eat anything that Indians survive on - and that it would mean that Ash would have to live on water alone. Ash has tested positive to wheat, rice, milk, fish, chicken, gluten, shrimp and dust allergents. He directs them to the SMF dermatologist, who changes his lotions and ointments - Cetaphil cleansing lotion, a non-soap lotion for his bath, and Sarna, an emollient for itchy skins.

Two hours go in that, so V returns to work and reaches home at 10 p.m. That is Indian Working Time. Most people in the private sector have 10-12 hour jobs. I am glad I am working or else I'd have gone mad Waiting for Hubby at the doorstep. Godot would be put to shame by the IT-corporate guys of India today.

My Day!

"There was a bomb blast in Spencer Plaza yesterday," read out my husband looking at the newspaper in the morning, while I was filling the laundry basket.

"Is it? Did anyone die?" I asked, thinking that the inevitable had happened on Chennai's busiest shopping mall.

"April Fool!" he shouted in glee. Well, I wasnt too embarassed because it is not just on April 1 that my husband tries to fool me.

Otherwise, All Fools' Day has been a tiring one for both of us. Mira had to be taken to the dr with the test reports and Xray, which showed bilateral broncho pneumonia. She has lost another 200 gms in 2 days. We had to wait over an hour as we had no appointment. She had to take 2 rounds of nebulisation, so V stayed back in the nurses' station for that while I proceeded to work. He ended taking a 3-hr work break while I reached work 2 hours late - not that there was any work waiting when I reached.

V has been taking a lot of time off work during work that he is getting worried. He has to take Ash for his classes and also for any hospital emergency the kids' have. I think it would have been better if we both were not working! But then, what do we do about our bread and butter - rather our kanji?

Artist dad

A sequel to yesterday's post. A couple of paintings done by V.



And no, I wasnt the model for either - he found them in a book of paintings.



But right now, his artwork is limited to sketches on newspaper mastheads or waste paper.

***
The company has very kindly felicitated me, like many others at work, with a Titan watch (my watch luck seems to be high this year) and a certificate for completion of 10 years of service. Aint I ancient?