cutting the rat's tail...

Got you with that title... didn't I?

You know it's time to take some serious action when you find yourself unconsciously plaiting your hair because it's getting too long...bringing to mind a gawky school goer with two plaits in an identity crisis - aiming to be rat tails or pig tails?


So the impulsive me, entered a salon and surrendered my hair to the whims of a scissor happy, non English speaking stylist, who has now successfully converted the pig tail into a mop head.

To add fuel to my ire, the hubby looks at me, after a whole day, and says "Yikes what have you done to your hair?"

I still haven't decided what has upset me more - his noticing after a day, or his comment...!

Mega sized BAWL!!!!

Now please be nice and make me feel better?

Terimah kasi! (that's thank you in malay!)

added as an afterthought: the rat's tail is now in its new avatar - the mini pony tail...

The urban giraffe

Heard in the playarea, an exclamation ; "Look, giraffes!!!!"

The kids present there, came rushing to see...Giraffes in the condo?

Soon came the loud protests from the kid brigade : "Those are not giraffes, those are cranes!"

She insisted, "But they look like giraffes, see that's the long neck and that's the face...."

Five minutes later she continued her walk, leaving a few excited kids admiring the 'giraffes' with the colored faces!

Whatever happened to imagination?

click, click! The mother in me !

Wonderful mom! that's what someone called me recently...and i thought to myself "not really, G is frankly a better parent than me!" Though it helps that he doesn't have to multitask and think about nutrition and silly stuff like hygiene and discipline and laundry and too much computer time and ...(i'm running out of speed here)! Always nice to give credit where its due..that's how nice i am!



Having got the guilt out of the way, lets focus on the tag by Monika and Gauri on the 5 joys of being a mother...

here go my spontaneous five,

• Nothing is as beautiful as the moment when you realize you’ve given birth to a pulsating life. I'm incredibly proud of that...and the fact that noone can ever change it! I loved my babies when they were tiny...I loved the way they looked, their smell, and the fact that i was their whole world, even if it was in the role of a milk vendor...and I learnt from them, from the way they learnt to roll over, to crawl, to sit, to walk, and to talk, always picking up something new.

• I love how my 6 yrold still needs me ...his hugs and his snuggles, his innocent questions and his nature. I love the way my 11 yrold laughs and his witty remarks. His writing and his gruff way of showing affection...i love this stage because its fleeting by and i treasure these moments...

• I've been seeing the world through their eyes for a long time now and i love what i see. I'm constantly evolving as a person around them...

• I love the evenings when they return from school...they both have SO MUCH to tell me ...and life is so full of bounce when they are at home.

• I love the fact that i know how to bring a smile to their faces even if i was the one who made them cry/angry and I love that their hugs can make my bad day seem perfect!

I could go on and on, but then the tag must go on :)

tagging other lovely moms : madhumita (UAE) , prats (India), ps (Norwich), Joy (USA) and Sumana (India)

Rules:

Just write a post of your own (5 things that you love about being a mom/dad) and find someone to link to and tag - someone from your own country, if you like, but definitely someone from another country (Google is a good resource if you don't know any; google any country name and 'mom/dad' in their blog search function) (be sure to let them know that you've tagged them!) - and link back here and HBM and leave a comment.

First impressions

You know what they say about first impressions? They say that's what imprints you in someone's mind, the first time you meet them?

The first impression is almost like your entire personality compressed into a five minute shot and you risk being stamped with a wrong label. I find that so unfair, because you find yourself carrying that weight for a long time.

And then i came across this at Antique mommy's.

It is a long video but do watch a brave 47 yr old contestent changing that first impression, unfazed by the laughter which greeted her. (click on the blue words to watch the video)

Sometimes, it pays to give someone a chance.

For those who missed the previous post, do watch this too...and keep those tissues handy...

A few side-effects...

Of Blogging!

Walking by the park and seeing an utterly delicious looking dad with a camera and clicking away pictures of his cute lil toddler from every corner of the playground, and the first thought which comes to mind is "Must be a daddy blogger!!!!"


Wanting to be caustic to the boys, but garnering admirable patience and coaxing the mouth to utter a friendly warning...'cos that's what responsible mothers do, even though my teeth have whittled away with all that gritting.


Realising that since blogging, spoken english has risen several notches on the "sound good ' scale and dipped alarmingly on the "understandability' scale, especially when spoken to the boys. From now, a simple "get your behind on the chair and finish your work" hollered in just the right tone will suffice instead of "you must try ..yadayadayada..." The first sign came many months back when the then 10 yrold and his father just gaped at me, after listening to a long passioned speech on self motivation!


Listening for the nth time, a neighbor's advice on how to feed my boys, and thinking, she must be a troll in her virtual avatar!


Looking at my blog and thinking it needs a makeover...again and scouting for new pictures even if the readers don't notice. (*this is the point where you are allowed to roll your eyes!)

Trying hard to ignore Google Reader which indicates that you have x no of blogs to be read, losing the battle and then subscribing to more blogs...


Being able to connect with others on the same virtual wavelength and actually have a wonderful time...


Being able to instantly share a touching video...(it's been making waves here in Singapore). Do watch it, and keep a tissue or handkerchief nearby


Find the beauty in your moments, even the imperfect ones and enjoy yourself, you never know how long it will last!

On that profound note, i do wish you a great weekend!

HOWZAT!!!!

The first day of school went off smoothly...new textbooks, new notebooks, new timetables...everything seems exciting and interesting, and its worth waiting till evening just to hear about who sat with whom and how many new children were there this time...

So the evening saw each child sharing some tidbit, the 11 yrold has a cricket tournament coming up where he is playing in 6 matches and of course very thrilled about it...while i see myself the only candidate for grabbing the hat of the cricket mum, soccer mum and keeping 6 yrold occupied well enough mum during the next 10 days. I'm also currently feeling very pleased with myself for having got through 2 weeks of holidays in one piece and more importantly having had fun all the way.

and then the 11 yrold says: 'amma, the princi is our english teacher'

me(pleasantly surprised) : 'Really? that's good news, she's an excellent english teacher"

11 yrold(contemplative): 'you know, she reminds me of you'

me(considerably elated and resembling a balloon, so puffed up with pride was I) trying to be nonchalant: "Why?"

11yrold : 'I can't read her handwriting on the board'

Tooooosh, that was the fastest a balloon ever deflated into oblivion!

And as you can see, the 11 yrold is good in delivering a yorker! (or whatever you call it)

when a wish came true!

When school starts after a two week break, it's going to be tough and exciting. Tough because the free spirit has to be caged into a routine, esp after all the unrestricted fun of the past days and exciting because it is after all a new year in school among familiar faces and different teachers.

We've had plenty to do the past 15 days, with libraries, waterparks, and the science centre being our favorite haunts, not to mention overdosing on high energy food. I really enjoy these days when there is no need to adhere to a set timetable and when we take the day as it comes. So it did not come as a surprise when the 6 yrold wished he could have extra holidays. :)

Still we thought we had prepared pretty well for the new term. Polished shoes, ironed uniforms and a packed school bag were set in its proper places, giving the first day of school its rightful importance; even though we all knew that the remaining weeks would be spent in the last minute flurry of packing school bags, and hunting for the right pair of socks at the last minute...



Monday morning dawned a bit too early and it was back to the routine of waking up with the birds and trying to coordinate your limbs which seemed to be having a mind of their own.





Lunchboxes packed, waterbottles filled and prayers said, we were ready and waiting for the bus, which never arrived.





Fifteen minutes later, we were still waiting...and i mentally prepared myself to drop them to school!





Finally i called the bus driver in irritation...and got a puzzled reply 'But school reopens on April 7th!!!'





A call to a friend confirmed the same...





Sheepish looks all round, a burst of laughter, a moan from the 11 yrold for having given up his precious sleep for nothing and a yell of delight from the 6 yrold who was quite thrilled that his wish came true!

Ok so i had forgotten the actual date, but really it's not my fault! Whoever reopens school on a Tuesday, anyway?