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.

Bye bye Bluebirds

I am off to Kerala on a 15-day vacation tonight. Right now I feel I will miss the cyberworld terribly but once I am there, I know I wont have time to think much about it. It will temporarily cure my Internet addiction.
Attending a wedding, a trip to Poovar near Trivandrum (I will try to look at it as a belated wedding anniversary treat from V) and checking out Ayurveda treatment for Ash in Trivandrum is on the cards during the one week that V will be there. He returns to Chennai on 25th.
The maid will go to her mother's home ( I dont think she wants to go to her drunkard husband's place) and promises to come back on 30th, when we have to pack up our bags too. I hope this maid wont give us any shocking surprises in the last minute. She does seem keen on returning. I understand our house, despite the din created by the two little ones, is heaven for her compared to her Gulf stint. Apparently she didnt get 4 months' pay for working in an Arab household; they also didnt give her a moment to breathe.
But I dont expect a Malloo maid to be grateful. How much ever we do for them, they go back and bitch...
Almost through with packing the bags between sleepless nights (thanks to an itchy Ash) and flaring tempers. Most of the luggage are the kids's clothes and stuff. In spite of it, when I am there I will find that I didnt take enough along. Worse, if the rains are on and clothes cant be dried fast enough.
Cancelled Ash's appointment with Vijaya today. We have to see how to work out his sessions once school starts, since Vijaya is available from 10 am-1 pm only. Or I will have to change the therapist. But Ash likes her though she is stern. "Let's take an auto and go to Vijaya aunty," he tells me sometimes.
And today morning, he was so upset with us parents (for shouting at him for giving us sleepless nights) that he told me: "Amma, I want to go to sister's school. I want to go to Appacha and Ammachi and Bruno and the hens."

See ya.