Ruchi Sabharwal

Kabir plays Oom Pa Pa!

2020-01-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last night, Kabir dressed up to take the stage at the Katzen Art Center!

Kabir played Oom Pa Pa, a piece he had been practicing the piece since early December. While he would rush when practicing at home, he kept a nice pace when performing. It was absolutely beautiful! I have been hearing it on repeat. :)

I was so excited cheering him up that I missed a second or two of the start, while recording.

I was lucky to accompany him. Our evening was full of special moments, we arrived the art center with enough time at hand to walk its hallways and check out the art on display. The Charkha took me back home!

The performances were all very beautiful. They gave me my fill for a musical evening! Thank you, Kabir!

The very happy mama and Kabir then dined at their favorite Chinese restaurant Q by Peter Chang. Over conversations of building forts at recess, the controversies and trials that happen in 3rd grade, to the upcoming class play, we savored Peking Duck and schezwan fish for dinner. It was happiness at its best, being with this sweet kid who is growing up with a beautiful heart and a little too quickly.

God bless you, Kabir, always! I'm excited to experience your musical journey.

Love to you,
Mama

Vir is 6!

2020-01-21T12:12:00.000-05:00

Vir,

You were longing for your birthday and counting months and days to it! While we had been so excited for your special day and the celebrations that came with it, I am so behind in writing about your year around the sun. I am so sorry. As I write this today you are 6+ and just as sweet, if not more. I love you!

Your excitement for your birthday reminded me of myself as a child and even as a young girl. The waiting, the planning, it was all so magical and exciting. While my excitement for my own birthday has died over the years, I wish for yours to live your lifetime, I'll help! :)

You started planning your birthday in Fall, wishing for snow and having a snow ball fight party at home, over the weeks of thinking you thought spy party would also be fun. While we celebrated your birthday indoors at Kidville, it did snow the night before your birthday! I was so excited for you! When you wish for something with all our heart, it does come true!

You had a fun time celebrating at Kidville with all your friends, building in the construction zone and playing in the gym. You said zipline was your favorite! On the day of your birthday, you celebrated in class with chocolate covered strawberries as a treat for all KXers.

At home you had wished to go out for Sushi for dinner at Wasabi, which is attractive to you and Kabir for it's sushi train, however, you were so overjoyed after cutting cake and opening presents that you decided we should just order food in! The magic of presents and wanting to play with your new toys! :)

This has been an year of new beginnings and growth. You started Kindergarten at a new school. While you had Kabir when you started, you have made many friends now. Your teachers say, they never see you alone. You seem to love it. Your favorite things to do at school are Choice Time, Exploratorium and recess.

Your school is a Quaker school and even the youngest kids sit in Meeting For Worship for 20 minutes each week. I wondered for your love for movement, if this time of silence and centering would be challenging for you. I attended the first meeting for worship, that was open for parents and was so proud at how you and all your young friends sat in silence. It is not easy and an early start is a great gift that I hope you will use as you grow.

You are full of energy and bring out the child in us. What I love about you most is your very caring and thoughtful nature. I am amazed by the way you think, you are a wise soul in a 6 year old's body. You care and speak in the most meaningful ways such that no one feel hurt and everyone is included and loved.

You are also very observant, you have great vocabulary. You love stories and science. Super heroes are also a favorite. Our trips to the library involve reading super hero books, one after the other. I have to get creative to sneak in a different book and I don't always get lucky. Over time your interests are expanding. You are over Dog man (Yay!). There was a big phase of "why?" and I attribute that to reading a lot of Dog man.

You are my teacher, you are teaching me patience and also creativity to redirect your attention. Daddy is better at it than I am but I am learning. You are strong willed and it's impossible to make you do anything. You like to know what's coming and be part of the decision making.

You love to help, off late you are starting to help make breakfast. This is a huge help and I appreciate you and your helpful nature so much!

You look forward to iPad time on Friday nights and movie nights on Saturdays! You are a Star Wars fan!

You love playing board games and card games. Chess, Risk, Uno, Sleeping Queens are some of the favorites.

You love machines. You love putting batteries in devices, you love to open things and learn how things work. Robots excite you, you sometimes even talk like a Robot...you'll say C.A.L.C.U.L.A.T.I.N.G while adding numbers.

You like listening to podcasts on your way to and from school. Wow in the World, goop tales or other story pod casts are your favorites. You ask for them to be played in a very sweet voice! :)

You like to build...mostly pods. Whether you are building with Legos, magnets cardboard or other material, your creations always have people in them. You like army and battle fields, troops are hiding everywhere in our house! My encouragement and redirection for more peaceful games hasn't worked so far...but I am hopeful this is a phase! ;)

You love to try new foods and drinks and I love having you as my taster.

I love you, my sweet Vir and I wish you the very best time growing up! Stay curious, stay kind and continue to bring out the best in us all.

Much love to you, always!

Mama

New Beginnings!

2019-09-11T21:52:00.000-04:00

Last week, we had a brand new Kindergartner and a brand new 3rd grader in our house! So much excitement, we could hardly sleep!

Tarun and I had been very excited for the boys to be together at school. As I drove them to school the first day and as the school got closer, a realization struck me; this was it, Vir, our littlest one was off to Elementary school. Where did the time do?!? And then the eyes were wet and the tears were rolling or may be it was allergies.

But as soon as we parked, the mood was different. The school was beaming with bright smiles. They gave high fives to the greeters and Kabir and I walked Vir to his classroom. Outside the classroom, the board said:

We went inside, Vir met his teachers and soon found his favorite things to play with. He was busy in no time! Kabir walked up to his class and was overjoyed to see his friends!

They both didn't notice when I left and then I didn't see them till pickup.

Vir had a lot to share the first two days and I was overjoyed but now all he shares is about recess and PE! Where did the other stories go? I long for them and I hope they will come back.

Kabir loves third grade! He is loving math, is writing stories and is thinking about what type of community they should be as a class. It's the thinking they do, that I love the most.

Vir is as happy as he can be! He loves the multiple recesses he gets and PE is another favorite. He calls his days "very fun"! I don't doubt him at all. Every day, I wish I was in his class!

Excited for both the boys on their new journey and the magic this year will bring!

8 is great!

2019-04-22T20:26:00.000-04:00

Kabir, you turned 8 earlier this month!

This was a wonderful year! We have been impressed on how quickly and how much independent you have become! All you need now are reminders but who doesn’t?!

As a young 8 year old, you are well read child, who enjoys fiction from Dogman to Harry Potter (You have read 7 of the 8 books and are now re-reading them!), all the books about battles and various wars, to biographies. You love books and are always found with one, unless playing.

Ms. Beeny your teacher, recently shared that on your field trip to the nature reserve center, there was a free library. You picked a book from it, found yourself a tree trunk and sat on it to read! After finishing the book, you went back and joined your group.

You are also writing stories and poems at school. This is one area that we have been working on. A creative child that you are with many wonderful ideas, sometimes they don’t transfer well on paper. Your teachers have been very excited about your latest myth and I can’t wait to read it myself!

Your favorite things to do are building Legos, reading and playing Minecraft!

This year you started taking piano lessons and have your first recital coming up soon. You recently played the below piece for a performance in your class.

You also picked up Fencing and Tae Kwon Do and seem to enjoy them both.

You are curious and are a keen learner. You have a great sense of humor, which is enjoyed both at home and school.

Days have gotten busier for you with some homework every day but weekends allow for some unstructured time, which you love.

In general, you are keeping good health, we are seeing some improvements with asthma and eczema, which is a hopeful change that with some more time it will get even better.

For your birthday, we had Norah, Mamu and Mami visting. You celebrated in school with your favorite Rice Krispie snack and at home we celebrated by spending the day at the Salamander Resort, doing some of your favorite things; playing Foosball, doing archery and spending the day together! First thing you did after getting back home was completely built the Lego set you received as a gift!

You made a donation of various kids items to A Wider Circle, in lieu of a birthday party. I hope you always do for others and others do for you.

It’s been interesting to see you grow, change and also stay the same. Excited to see what year 9 holds!

We love you, Kabir! Stay curious, stay kind and be humble, always.
Mama

Vir, you're 5!

2018-12-13T22:41:00.000-05:00

Dear Vir,

This week you turned 5! From here

to here

to here...in a flash!

Daddy and I are still coming to terms with it. You were our little one who is now officially a big boy! You are a very independent and a very caring 5 year old and should I add a stubborn one too! ;) While kids crawl, walk and then run, you went from crawling (very fast crawling) to almost running. Speed has stayed with you. You run, you hop, you jump and you rarely walk. There is always movement where you are.

You independently served yourself breakfast for the first time when you were 3 years old and continue to demonstrate independence. You always want to do everything on your own and when things are done for you, you get upset, very upset. :(

Our hearts swell with pride with the care you show for your family, friends and even those you don’t know. You love to share; be it toys, books or your favorite snack or food. You recently made Gingerbread cookie at school and you made sure you saved it to share with us at home. I ate it slowly so I could enjoy it longer, it was delicious!

You got a free snack at your swim school for your birthday, it was a box of Pringles. Another child around you wanted it too, he asked his mom and his mom said they had snack in their car, you were listening, you slowly went and offered him a chip. His mom let him have it, it was very sweet!

You continue to surpass expectations and I am amazed at how content you are. Stay your sweet, caring and content self.

This year you are in a junior Kindergarten program at the Village Green Day School. You are enjoying the routine and the material you are using in the class. You have made new friends and are enjoying the two recesses you get each day. You love to be outdoors!

You are reading now, words and even sentences, when you are in the mood, you would read the whole level 1 reader book. You love books and are exposed to a large variety thanks to your older brother!

During the ride to school, you often read Calvin and Hobbes or Astrix and I hear you cracking up on the jokes. Some jokes you have heard many times when Kabir reads and some you get by the pictures and the big bolded words. Whatever it is, it brings happiness, when I hear you crack up on jokes after reading them and you would often share them with me too.

These days you are enjoying the Dogman series, anything Star wars is also a favorite and Dr. Seuss too!

You adore Kabir, his word is the last word in everything! You are enjoying building with legos and also with magnet tiles. You love building things with wheels and then adding people to your creations, it’s like a scene. It’s very cute. You often sleep with your creations.

Guess who else loves to build, Kabir! Kabir loves to build so much that he often takes over and when I intervene, you protect him. It’s very sweet. It reminds me of Sumit Mamu and I growing up and when Nani used to come to discipline one of us, we would take each other’s side. :)

Overall, you are are very wise soul with an enormous heart and while this is your one side, the other is wild and adventurous!

We started your birthday celebration over the weekend and visited your favorite Air and Space museum!

Kabir got you a toy airplane as a present! You were so excited that couldn't wait till your birthday to receive it! :)

On your birthday, we celebrated with your friends and teachers in the Giraffes class and later celebrated at home with dinner of your choice (spaghetti and meatballs!).

Together we decided that in lieu of a birthday party this year, we would donate. You are big on donating things you are outgrowing and when I brought the idea of helping others and bringing happiness to those in need, you were with me. Not once you cringed or said you wanted a party instead. I am SO proud of you!

I reached out to A Wider Circle and asked how we could help and they sent me a few options. It was hard to pick one, AWC supplies key items to 150 families each month, they also needed diapers and wipes. They shared they never have enough diapers, usually they don't have enough to even give one packet or even half a packet to the families. Knowing the need, it was hard to pick one thing to donate, so we donated a mix of things from boxes of diapers, wipes, toilet paper, laundry detergent, all purpose cleaner to pasta. Things are starting to arrive at AWC today! It's a great feeling.

Thank you for making an impact and being selfless at this young age.

Vir, I wish you always do for others and bring joy to those you know and also to those you don't. I wish you stay curious and wise. I wish the spark in your eyes that brings us smiles, never fade. I wish you and Kabir always have a very strong bond.

Vir, you fill my heart with pride. Many happy returns of the day, my love! May God bless you always.

With love,
Mama

Fall the season of festivities!

2018-11-09T11:30:00.000-05:00

It's Fall y'all! The colors are gorgeous outside and the season is brimming with festivities! First Halloween and then Diwali, it’s been fun and busy weeks!

Halloween is big in our house especially amongst the boys, I participate in the excitement minus the dressing up. This year however was different, you'll see as you read on!

The costumes are discussed, researched and bought way ahead of time. This year, Tarun had his ready before boys decided on theirs; yes that’s the type of excitement, I'm talking about! Scary movies were watched, decorations were discussed but only if we parents could put them on!

The morning of Halloween Kabir (7) asked me, what I was going to dress up as? I responded with my usual answer “myself”. Then with great disappointment in Kabir's voice came “Agggaiiin!”

I knew I had to do something. The day was long and busy with the Halloween parades at the two schools, along with a parent interview in between.

We got home at 4pm to leave again in an hour for trick or treating at Great Falls Village and a visit to the haunted house. The haunted house was really what the boys wanted to visit, not that they didn't want candy, especially Vir!

I was exhausted and all I needed was a nap but just to make Kabir happy, I took a trip to a store to find myself a simple headgear to get in the Halloween spirit. When I got to the store, they only had a few items left and I found a simple headband with a witch’s hat! I got home excited, put on the headband, showed it to the boys, there were “Yays!” I felt good. I felt I achieved something and made the boys happy. It really was a happy moment. (You'll soon know why I am stressing so much on "happy"). Soon we left for trick or treating.

Another couple of hours of excitement and fun and we were back home. I felt pretty good and decided I was going to reuse the headband. All my future Halloweens were planned!

The next morning, as Kabir ate breakfast with his eyes glued to a book and I sat next to him sipping coffee, there came a voice, “Mama, next year, you are definitely dressing up. We will all wear inflatable costumes and you’ll be the inflatable unicorn.” I sat shocked, in complete disbelief.

I thought I had nailed it last night. What was Kabir saying? I could hear the disappointment yet again. I was sad, very sad that he was disappointed in me but also proud of the way he handled the whole thing.

So now what? An inflatable costume is in my future... what about what I had planned just the night before for ALL the future Halloweens?! We shall see, I might surprise myself again. I never thought I would wear a witch's hat either! All we do for our children!

This week was Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights and guess who was very excited and wanted to dress up?! ;)

The food preparations started early on, the clay lamps, the tea lights, the sweets were bought, Rangoli was made...there was so much excitement! Even sparklers were bought to make the evening more exciting for the kids.

Diwali takes me back to my childhood; decorating the house with flowers and rangoli, lighting the candles and diyas, the gift giving to relatives and friends. I am fondly reminded of the time in our prayer room with my grandparents, parents and my brother. I am back in that room each year in my thoughts as we get ready to pray. I am reminded of my brother and I mischievously giggling while the grown ups prayed. Such fun we had!

I re-live the Diwali evening back home each year when I soak milk and water in the silver bowl my grandparents used and add silver coins and rings in it just like they did, when I request Tarun to make the holy symbol with saffron and rice like my grandfather did in the plate with the sweet offerings. I love having these rituals that I can continue in my family and share with my kids .

As I drove around running errands today, reflecting on this sequence of Halloween and Diwali, I appreciated my children’s excitement for Halloween more and their expectation of me to dress up just like I have from them on Diwali, when I take out the Indian Kurtas for them to wear. The Kurtas I have chosen and bought when I visited New Delhi last. How much I want them to immerse in the culture and enjoy the festival as I did growing up...things that bring me joy, the family, the love and the memories I relive and want to continue to make.

This week has been a flood of emotions and today I am thinking of Mama even more. I feel she is closer to me today than she was 12 years ago when she left us this day, for a more peaceful place. I am so thankful for her and her unconditional love. So much of who I am is because of her. Mama, I miss you so much. I am so lucky to call you mine. Love you tons, then, now and always. :-*

I wish my family continues to celebrate together, enjoys little things and makes countless memories. At the end, memories are all we are left with and hold so dear.

xoxo

Camera stories from Tanzania!

2018-04-08T22:48:00.002-04:00

We recently spent a week in Tanzania over spring break exploring the Tarangire national park, Ngorongoro crater and the Serengeti national park.

It was quite an experience watching the various animals in their natural habitat and seeing how they cared for their young ones. As I observed the elephants, the leopard, the lions...care, play and interact with their young ones, all I could think of was love is universal! It was such a treat!

Not only was the wildlife beautiful, I could't get enough of the landscape, which changed as we moved from one national park to the other, each so different and so beautiful! The trees, the sky, the clouds and most of all the Maasai people, there was beauty all around!

Wrapping 2017 with many memories.

2017-12-31T21:11:00.000-05:00

We started 2017 with a huge shock and grief. Tarun's dad had left us for the more peaceful world on Dec 31st 2016 without any warning or health complaint. The only relief that we had was Tarun, me and the kids were in Delhi and we had a chance to be with papa. Life is short.
It has been an year today and we hold him in the light. He is in our conversations and in our hearts always. We hold on tight to the many memories we made together, the pictures we have with him. When I see Vir sleeping turned sideways, he often reminds me of papa. I know he's watching over us and blessing us from above.

My mother in-law continues to be in Delhi and is gaining good health. We are beyond thankful for the support we have in Delhi and for her own will power. She recently made a short trip within India which came with some challenges but was a welcoming change to her day to day life. It brought her much happiness and joy. The sound of her voice said it all. Tarun traveled back and saw her a couple of times and we hope we can soon go as a family and spend time with her.

My mom started practicing yoga while in Portland and continues her practice in India. So grateful for her health and well being. She continues to give us her time, company and support which we love. Us getting to spend quality time with her is truly a gift.

Tarun continues to create and innovate. He started his new startup; this time aiming to transform the travel industry, a very unconventional way.

He keeps our smiles wide with his humor and Kabir has also joined the club this year!

Kabir turned 6 and started first grade. His love for building stays with him. He recently built a 900+ piece Lego Fire-station! His other love is books. He eats, drinks and sleeps them. He always wakes up with a story!

What makes my heart swell the most is when Kabir tells me, he wants to build homes for the homeless and give cars for free to the less fortunate and when he tells me how it is unfair that women get paid less than men for the same job. It amazes me how a 6 year old can think like this when SO many adults don't. He is truly passionate about equality.

Vir turned 4! He continues to impress us by his independent nature. This kid makes his own breakfast, can get himself completely ready and is super resourceful.
A very determined child who knows exactly what he wants. His determination doesn't always work in our favor but that won't change things! I love when he talks about donating the toys, clothes and books he no more uses. He always puts his family first and loves his brother dearly. This child truly cares.

Vir continues to love outdoors and is showing great interest in building things. He loves to read and be read. He is also a very creative story teller! He loves everything fast and is an adventure lover. On our recent trip to Costa Rica he really enjoyed zip lining and even went for an ATV ride.

And I while working hard to keep my family whole, started a job with Capital One over the summer. I love the people I work with. It makes all the difference!

Together as a family we enjoyed each other's company, made many memories and had great experiences:

Hawaii in Spring with Sumit and Aman

Hiking in Croatia

Portland with boys and my mom

Dominican Republic with my mom

And ended the year in lush green and beautiful Costa Rica.

If I made a holiday card this year, it would be this: <>

Here's wishing everyone love, peace, happiness and good health in 2018! May this be the year of change.

With love and hope,
Ruchi

KX presents Up on the House Top!

2016-12-06T21:40:00.000-05:00

Kabir at his school's holiday program! KX-ers did their teachers and parents proud!

A celebratory week!

2016-11-07T20:50:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a week of celebrations we just passed, it seems to have gone by on fast track!

Sunday was Diwali, a festival of lights. The biggest festival of India. While it doesn't feel the same here in the US, we do dress up in Indian clothes, light diyas and do a pooja. This time it was special as my mom was with us. She made kheer and chole. Dinner was delicious!

Monday, was halloween. Both Kabir and Vir were super excited about it and had picked their costumes with much thought. While Kabir was a knight, Vir was Chase (from Paw Patrol). My mom and I attended Vir's halloween parade and party at his school and then the three of us headed to Kabir's school to attend his. It was a fun day and it wasn't still over! Back from school and a snack later, we were ready to hit the Great Falls Village for trick or treating! By this time, Kabir had decided he wanted to wear a simpler costume, a cape and a mask did the trick!
Lots of candy was collected and safely hidden the same night. Hidden and not thrown, just so I could eat it!

Tuesday, we celebrated my mom's 65th birthday! In the morning with the boys over cake and then a dinner out at Rasika for the adults! An evening that was thoroughly enjoyed!

Thursday, We celebrated Diwali in Kindergarten at Kabir's school. There are 2 Kindergarten classrooms in school with 7 Indian kids. We all wore Indian clothes and decorated the classrooms were decorated with lights and other display.

Both classes were combined together for a Diwali presentation by the parents; taking about the Indian families in Kindergarten, where in India we all come from, talking about the diversity in India, how culture, language etc. changes from state to state, talking about the festival, about the meaning of light both in terms of Diwali and Quakerism, reading a book about Diwali and ending with a Diwali video. After the presentation, the classes were divided for craft and snack in their own classrooms. Each child painted a diya which they took home and enjoyed samosa, jalebi, naan and mango juice for snack!

And the best part, everyone got a Diwali present!

It was really special to witness how we celebrated diversity and how interested the children and the teachers were in learning about Diwali. With the smell of incense, aarti playing in the background and the beautiful display, it felt like mini India. Can't wait to do it again next year!

It was a long day for some! :-)

We ended Thursday with a Diwali party at Kabir's classmate's house!

A busy but happy week kicking off the festivities for the rest of the year!

A new pre-schooler in town!

2016-09-16T15:43:00.000-04:00

If I could keep you little,

I'd keep you close to me.

But then I'd miss you growing

into who you're meant to be!

By Marianne Richmond

Vir, this was another big week at our house. You started regular pre-school on Monday! You will be going Monday through Thursday from 9am till 1pm.

We'd been talking about it for days and you were super excited, excited for your backpack, excited to be a ladybug and excited to have new friends.

And it showed pretty well, last Monday, when we just couldn't contain our excitement!

I walked you to your classroom yesterday and met Mrs. Haq. Her words were "Feels like Vir has been in the class for an year. He is settling in so well and he's the youngest of all!"

How lovely, Vir! I saw you pick your name tag and check-in all by yourself. You found your name tag, there's no picture on it only letters. Yes, you can read your name! :-)

Next, you went to put your backpack in your cubby. You did it all independently and then walked straight to the rug to sit in circle. You sat at the spot assigned to you (the map of Philippines). Mrs. Haq and I were very proud!

I was all smiles seeing this. You were focused and happy. You didn't even notice when I left.

When I shared this with Kabir in the evening, he said "What a good big boy!" We are all so proud of you!

You have been coming back and sharing little things from your day. It's very sweet. Like you said the other day, "I made a good choice today but I didn't put the marble in the jar"

Me: Why did you not put the marble in the jar?

You: because I didn't want to!

Yet another day, you shared "I had music today "

Great first week, Vir! I am SO excited for you!

Enjoy your time at school. Make new friends, learn new things, have new adventures and love it all. You are very independent, so I hope and feel that the Montessori program would be a wonderful program for you.

As you take these big steps forward, always know and remember that we are here for you and you're still our baby.

Always, always, always be your sweet self.

We all love you SO much! Kisses all the way!

Mama

Nani sent you a letter the first day of your school. Here goes:

Hey Little ( Big ) Boy !! You have been surprising us from day one . We believed that you are born weak but you proved that you are strong , brave , big & what not . You are so fast that you can't wait doing all that your big brother does . Mommy got tricycle for you thinking that you will practice to paddle . No ! That was not to happen . You are far ahead of this . You began with driving your Tesla & then took to biking Kabir's bicycle . It was yesterday only you were going to Mommy & Me sessions going to school just for an hour or so & that too two days a week . And Today you made it to Ladybug class --- staying in school for full five hours all five days a week . I can't recall when did you grow this big ! You are already known so well in your class -- be it your Teachers Or Friends they all know you & love you a lot . Am sure you too are going to have wonderful time in school surprising us every single day with your new stories .

Here I send you hundred kisses & a warm tight hug wishing you all the very Best for Always !

Much Love
Friends For Ever
Nani

Kindergarten begins for K!

2016-09-06T16:41:00.000-04:00

A baby who was born almost five and a half years ago, nurtured and nourished in his home, pre-schooled by the tender care of his teachers has ventured outside the cocoon today.

Ready to learn and see the world differently, ready to explore new things, a new environment, a totally new set of teachers and children.

Kabir, you are brave. You didn't want the normal from day one, you didn't want to go to the school where your friends were going. At age 5, you knew what you wanted and you made it there all on your own. It's incredible!

I am excited for your journey. My hope is it will be fruitful and you will earn many gifts of knowledge that you will keep with you for the rest of your life.

Kabir, I wish you the best. May the sky be your limit, may you reach for the stars and may your life speak for itself.

So much had gone in the planning for this big day. I had checklists and all the prep was done much in advance. Yesterday I was cuddling you like there's no tomorrow, my sweet little boy, my pre-schooler was going to be a kindergartner the next day. I was all emotional inside and you knew it and enjoyed all the love that you were getting.

Today morning, you had a late start at school and a short day after that. You woke up, had breakfast, played, got ready and it was time to leave for school but before that, I made sure, we got some pictures! :)

Daddy and I both went to drop you off. When we reached school, you were greeted by your principal Shereen and Dr. G, to whom you gave fist bumps and introduced yourself.

While we waited for your classroom teachers to be ready for you, we met some other teachers; your librarian, your Spanish teacher and your Art teacher.

Soon, we were told that your classroom teachers were ready and we along with the other parents and children walked to your classroom. Guess what we spotted right outside your classroom, your picture with your favorite book's cover! :) What a sweet surprise! :-)

When we walked in the classroom, we met Mrs. Coffin and Ms. Navarro; your two teachers. You gave them both high fives. You looked around the room and tried to spot your cubby. When you saw it, you were so excited, you said "it's like a locker". You put your back pack in your cubby and then you and I walked around to check out the rest of the classroom. Soon, Daddy and I gave you hugs and told you we'll see you soon. A couple of minutes after, I came back to take a picture of your in your new space and I couldn't see you anywhere. I went all around and found you sitting and playing with trucks and trains, with a friend. You didn't even realize I was there! I smiled, took some pictures and left without disturbing you.

Two hours later, we were back to pick you up. We were waiting in the carpool, when you came with

Ms. Navarro.

You said bye to her and then came and sat in the car. You told us, you had the best day as you played the whole time. I asked if you had circle time and you said it was supposed to be circle time but you had oval time!

Tomorrow, you go for half-a-day and then from Thursday, the full day starts! You are excitedly waiting for the full day.

I love you Kabir, SO excited for you! I look forward to hearing your stories each day.

Bear hug,

Mama

P.S. Here's a very loving note that came from Nani this morning. Something you and I will want to read as years go by. Stay blessed, my love. The love Nani shares with you and Vir is very special.

"Dearest Kabir

Time flies fast . It seems to be just a little while before you started going to Village Green School . Have you grown wings overnight ? Today you are all set to go to The Big School . I can visualize you carrying your new school bag , waving bye to Vir & Lupe , excited to sit in your car seat & driving to your new school with Mommy & Daddy . I am blowing you kisses from here & sending love & best wishes . Am confident that you will be a good learner & performer . School is fun , make learning an enjoyable experience . Think big & make your dreams a reality . Arise , awake & achieve !
May you get the best of best !!

Lots of love , hugs & kisses

Your friend
Nani "

Happy 92!

2016-06-25T23:39:00.000-04:00

My dear Mama,

Happy Birthday! You would have turned 92 today.

I think of you each day and my sweetest treasures are my memories of you, some pictures I have of you and your recipes, which I use on a very frequent basis. My most cherished possession is a recipe written in your hand-writing.

This very well could be a recipe Tippi Mama gave you as I remember her making dhokla at our place when she visited one summer. This is super special to me since it is written by you.

Mama, I hope that you are peaceful because there's nothing more I want for you.

Thank you for all your teachings and for all your love. I cherish my time spent with you and could not have asked for a better grandmother who was also my best friend.

Love you so much! A big, big birthday hug and lots of kisses. If only I could walk by you and plant kisses on your cheeks right now.

Miss you so much.

Please watch over me.
Your Gudiya.

Father's day

2016-06-25T23:25:00.000-04:00

Father's day that we just passed on June 19th was a blessing.

We spent it in the company of Dilbagh uncle and Ammi. Dilbagh uncle; a grandfather to me, a great grandfather to Kabir & Vir and an inspiration to many.

Thank you, uncle for all your blessings and love over all these years. I remember you used to say to me "yeh gudiya hai ya chidiya hai?" Love you so much and wish you the best of health and happiness always.

I look forward to repeating this year after year with you and hope to get better UNO games between you, Kabir and Ammi. Hopefully Kabir will stop cheating soon. :)

We missed Tarun but will celebrate again when he is back from India. A hero and a great dad to Kabir and Vir. They look up-to him. Whenever something handy needs to be done, their individual reaction is "My dad can do it". (Tarun is really not that handy but he can put a light bulb! :)) The reaction is still the same nonetheless. It is uncanny how similar they both are to him. The confidence (or over confidence) and fearlessness is unbelievably the same. God bless the trio!

And my dear Daddy, I LOVE you with all my heart and always miss you. Thank you for being a friend first and a father second. Be good. Big hug, Didu!

Last Day

2016-06-17T15:32:00.000-04:00

This past Wednesday was the last day of school before summer break but for Kabir, it was the last day of pre-school.

How and when did this happen? Where was I? I remember very vividly when Kabir started at Village Green and now in a blink of an eye, it was time for him to part ways.

Wednesday morning, I walked Kabir to his class.

He had written cards for his teachers and his friends and packed friendship bracelets for them, the night before.

We had a beautiful card giving ceremony, hugs were exchanged.

Then the kids huddled together, smiling and laughing. Kabir looked so happy. I smiled too but my heart was tearing up inside, knowing it was his last day with his friends; in his classroom; with his teachers. Last day as a Ladybug. I felt the pain all day and I still do as I write this today.

Excited for Kabir to start the new phase yet sad that the pre-school years went by way to quickly.

Kabir made such great friends at school and cherishes each and every one of his friendships. The pictures of Kabir and Grace dancing, Sophia and Kabir hugging, a group hug by Taylor, Rania and Alexa, on his last day melt my heart.

Kabir's time at his very first school has surely ended but there are so many memories that were created here, so many associations made, all of which, we will hold very close to our heart.

I sincerely hope Kabir and his friends will continue to stay in touch through the summer and beyond.

Next school year, Vir will take Kabir's place in the ladybug class. I couldn't be more excited for him!

Love these munchkins to bits! God bless them.

Peru!

2016-06-04T03:14:00.001-04:00

Last Sunday, Tarun and I got back from a week long hiking trip in Peru. A week long trip, just Tarun and me, where were the kids, you may ask?!? In wonderful care of my mom and their nanny. I was nervous, leaving them for this long, but they did very well. We were amazed and proud.

Every morning, I would call and we would speak at length and they would ask me, where we were, where we were staying and Vir would say "Are you still in the mountains?" It was so sweet, I missed them! In the evening, I would share pictures from our day. One day, while taking to Kabir, I said, I missed him, to which he replied, "Then why did you go on the trip?" I was tongue tied. We were excited to get back, it was a great break. Kids were up and waiting when we got home, Vir even said to me "I was waiting for you!". Lots of hugs, cuddles and stories after, we called it a night. Kabir slept holding my arm, it was very sweet!

Now, the trip. Tarun and I went with no expectations except to hike to our hearts content and visit Machu Picchu and we came back with an incredible experience.

We toured with 16 other travelers, 2 wonderful leaders and an exceptional local guide. We knew no one and when the trip ended, we were all in tears.

The trip was active, very active, so much so, that by 2nd day, Tarun felt we should have taken a spa vacation! Someone wanted to sleep in but had to get up at 5:00 am or closer. Each day, after breakfast at the hotel, we packed our snacks and hiked all day, lunch was usually a picnic and dinner was fine dining. It really was a boot camp with a fancy dinners and nice hotels!

We started in Cusco, walking the city the first day and getting comfortable with the 11,000+ ft high altitude, visiting the churches, the temples and learning about the Incan empire.

We hiked Tambomachay, the highest point in Cusco at close to 13,000 ft. elevation. Tarun wasn't comfortable with the high altitude so the first few days were rough for him. Luckily, Tambomachay was the highest elevation on the trip so it was all good after.

The surprise of the day was hiking with the the llamas!

After the hike, we reached our lunch spot for picnic, where the locals played music for us!

After lunch, we hiked to Saksaywaman; the stonehenge of Andes.

It rained while we were at Saksaywaman, so when we reached Cusco, there was a rainbow...a double rainbow!

Next two days, we hiked through the sacred valley, visiting Pisac and Ollantaytambo. The hike was steep and intense, including some high steps (300 in number) to climb up and 700 tiny, narrow steps to climb down. Our leaders said this was a test run for Inca Trail the following day.

The start to the sacred valley was with a surprise; a visit to the farm to feed the llamas, alpacas and vicunas and meet local artisans!

Later, we passed the beautiful terraces while hiking to the top of a temple.

The terraces were an incredible sight; the Incans used them for farming.

In Pisac, we visited the Salt Flats, which were nothing like I had imagined.

These two days our hotel Sol y Luna was a beautiful lodge with a ranch.

And it began..the climb of the 300 steps!

and the 700 narrow and short steps we climbed down!

Lunch spot!

Before lunch, there was yet another surprise, a priest was on site to do a prayer for the whole group. It was rather touching.

So much of this, reminded me of India.

After lunch, we visited the weaving village, which was so special and a very unique experience. We met the family of one of our porters and his community. The women and the young kids weave and spin.

Everyone was really sweet, the kids; the excitement was oozing out of them, what was everyone doing with their phones? Phones could take pictures?! They could take their own pictures?! They had just learned something new and found themselves a toy! :-)

Some were shy and some wanted to learn counting and some wanted to talk and make friends. No matter what, the place was full of smiles, full of joy! While, at the village, I smiled so much that my jaw hurt, it was such a happy place!

I was missing Kabir and Vir so much that when Jose; our local guide shared the story of the village with the group, I sneaked out to spend time with the children. They wanted to talk, to share, to play. They were so happy to get themselves clicked and see their pictures. :-)

Later, they performed a dance for everyone and made everyone dance with them. It was such a joyful time!

The women displayed all they had weaved if anyone wanted to buy. I saw friendship bands and thought how perfect it would be for Kabir to give to his friends as he graduates pre-school. I also picked a long tape, which I hope to get converted into a camera strap.

Ruth and Bob, who were traveling with us shared a book about Llamas with the kids and gave them pencils as presents. I thought that was really sweet.

Next morning, we started very early to catch the train to Inca Trail and hiked up the 6 mile "Km. 104".

It was a long, strenuous and steep hike, combined with climbing a straight rock wall up to Sun Gate, which provided our first view of Machu Picchu!

Everyone was thrilled to reach the Sun Gate! This called for determination and we had a couple of people who were scared of heights or had vertigo, it was so impressive and such an inspiration to see them hike the trail. Once they made it to Sun Gate, it was a moment of joy for everyone!

I felt lucky all the previous days, hiking through the less traveled paths , visiting the salt flats and the weaving village and thinking this was special and Machu Picchu might just feel over-rated after this, but once we got our first view, I was wowed!

Next day, our last day, we spent exploring the lost city!

It was time to say good byes. The whole group with Jose; our local guide!

With Isabel and Quinnen, our wonderful tour leaders!

Early morning walk exploring the sanctuary that Inkattera in Aguas Calienties was, I captured some more nature.

This was an incredible trip, I loved Peru, I loved its people and the connections we made. It seems to be calling me back or may it is the simplicity of life, that I miss. There was definitely a lot that was learned; from the place, from its people and I will try not to lose it.

Mother's day.

2016-05-08T21:44:00.000-04:00

Kabir's class celebrated mother's day this past Thursday by hosting a tea party and a beautiful song performance for all the ladybug moms!

The teachers and the children make this day so special for the mothers. So much planning and practice goes into putting the performance together. Their love and handwork is simply touching.

The theme was Victorian Era and the kids looked adorable in their victorian outfits!

And the performance was just so beautiful! The little ones rocked it! We have played the recording over and over and over these past few days. Can't get enough of it.

I was beyond elated to be there! Can you tell? :-)

The events at Kabir's class are extra special to me this year, since it is his last year at the preschool. He has made such great friends over the years not just with the kids but also his teachers. Hope we will all make an extra effort to keep these friendships alive.

That's Kabir with his very dear friend Mark!

As I sit to post this today, I realize I never posted the fashion show ladybugs held last year for mother's day. It was a show to watch!

On Friday, Vir brought me this beautiful card with his hand cut outs. I am always touched by the thoughts teachers put in!

Today, I received this beautiful card designed and written by Kabir...ILU and U R MIN (this boy knows how to steal my heart!). Vir wrote too. The lines you see are all him! LOVE IT!

May their hearts be always full of love and care and may we always have such loving moments and memories together.

I hope, I really hope, I can do half as good a job as a mother, as some of the role models in my life.

Thank you boys, for all your love. You're precious and I love you more than words can say.

Mama

Big 5!

2016-04-20T15:30:00.000-04:00

Kabir, earlier this month you turned 5! It's unbelievable how quickly these five years have gone by.

From a little baby to now a very thoughtful, loving and caring boy, who has a naughty side and loves to crack jokes, loves to come up with poems and stories and LOVES to build! You're creativity is beyond impressive!

One of the poems that you came up with goes like this:

Good night, good night, construction siteGo to sleep it's dark outsideWake up in the morning when the sun is bright.

You are doing very well academically. You love to count, this is something we do during our car rides. You are doing additions and subtraction, more and more mentally now and are READING!

Today, you read a store banner "DOG WORLD PET SALON" all by yourself!

You are deriving morals from stories and sharing in your class and also participating in discussions. You've had several mentions in your weekly update around this in the last few months.

You are a very loving and protective big brother. Vir adores you, he copies you (a lot!), he listens to you (more than he listens to me or daddy, so sometimes I ask you to tell him what I want him to do!)

You two have the best time together. Of-course there are times when you both want the same thing at the same time and there's some crying involved but overall, you both want to read bed time stories together, you want to bathe together, play together, share your favorite food, your toys, books everything. You even love to wear matching clothes! :-)

Kabir, you have a love for learning. You always want to know the what, why, how and then what to get deeper knowledge. When we are together and you're not building legos or playing outdoors, you are asking questions! Sometimes, I don't even know the answers, so we look up together!

I get to learn so much from you like today over dinner, I learned about the Dodo bird which is now extinct! How awesome is this?! Keep up your curiosity and love for learning!

Since this was your 5th birthday and you love Legos, we decided to take you to LegoLand during spring break. You were very excited and very involved in the planning. You chose to not fly and drive, so we decided to go to Legoland in Florida, you chose the room (the Knights room) you wanted to stay it at the resort. You made all the decisions!

The drive was long, it took us 2 days each way, but you and Vir did incredibly well. We didn't use iPads or iPhones during the entire drive or during our stay. Lots of talking, playing games, reading books, sharing jokes and time passed very well.

You were so excited to get to Legoland, you jumped straight in the lego pit and started building. During our stay, you participated in lego building competitions, enjoyed rides in the park, the pool, pajama parties and had the best time!

We even made a short trip to see the Anand family in Allentown. As always, we had a great time. Lots of love, pampering and family time. Ammi cooked your favorite fish which you loved! You had such a great time that you didn't want to come back. You were literally in tears. Next time you want to go for 2 weeks or a million days. I think you will choose the latter. :-)

On your birthday, we celebrated with your friends and teachers at school. In the evening, you cut the cake I baked for you and then opened your presents!

This past Saturday, you had your big birthday party. You enjoyed a magic show with your friends. It was a hit with both kids and adults!

Happy big birthday Kabir! Be kind. Be humble. Be thoughtful.

You're an absolute delight! We love you and are very proud of you!

Hugs and Kisses,

Mama

Jonas O Jonas!

2016-01-29T16:37:00.001-05:00

What a storm! About 30 inches of snow last weekend provided for everyone under the same roof with some downtime.

We checked into a hotel last Friday afternoon, as we didn't want to risk losing power and be stuck at home during the storm, without heat and water.

It was a comfortable feeling and gave everyone some downtime...catching up on sleep, reading, lots of news on TV and some movies for the boys too.

Although, we didn't go prepared for a heated pool, Kabir was ready to jump in, as soon as he found out, the hotel had one.

Come Sunday morning, the storm had passed with a lot of snow on the ground. From our room, we could see the road outside the hotel was clean. That gave us a reason to think, the plow trucks had been busy and must have cleared the main roads.

We feel the pinch of not having a 4x drive every time we are stuck in this situation but for some reason, we still don't own one.

While I wanted to be cautious and hear the news reporters say it was safe to go out, Tarun was ready to give it a shot. We sure were home sick.

We knew, we had power at home since Tesla was charging (Tarun had been tracking it on the Tesla app)

After breakfast and some thinking, failed attempts to get uber or any other help, we loaded our bags in Prius and slowly got out of the hotel, only to realize that the roads were in a horrible condition...be it the toll road or any other major roads. We somehow cautiously made it to our street and then we were stuck! It hadn't been plowed yet. There was no way we could have driven on it and and there was already a car stuck in a distance. Our neighbor, whose car was stuck was out with his snow blower, clearing the street so that he could at-least move the car to the side.

We parked in another neighbor's driveway on our cross street and walked home.

How good it felt to be home, safe.

I headed straight to the kitchen to make some fresh hot cocoa!

Kabir could hardly wait to go out and play. He had been itching to play in the snow, since the it started Friday afternoon and when we finally went out, he had the best time!

Vir played some outside and was then ready to come and play indoors.

We were so elated to be back home, that we even celebrated with our favorite vino by the fire!

Pre-school was closed the first three days this week and I worked from home.

Yesterday, the pre-school re-opened at a regular time and it felt like life was getting back to normal and then, while driving the boys to the school, our car slipped on the very icy hilly road. Our nanny was driving the boys to school and soon after they left, I got a call from her that she is stuck. I left right away to get to them. Thankfully everyone was safe but it was so frightening.

After over two hours...finishing the paper formalities, waiting for VDOT to come and salt the road and then the tow truck to pull cars out, we decided to skip school and came back home.

The boys went out to play in the snow and I started work. We decided to take today easy too.

Hoping the better temperatures during the weekend and next week will help clear the aftereffects of Jonas.

Monday should bring a welcome change to get back to school and office.

I sure am done with the snow for the rest of the winter!

Ending 2015 with love!

2015-12-31T22:05:00.000-05:00

We spent the last few days of 2015 with some of the most amazing people; our very favorite Ammi, Uncle and Madhu uncle!

We celebrated birthdays (Uncle's 95th and Ammi's 81st), toured DC, went out for movies, enjoyed good food (minus an experimental meal, which will stay in my memory forever) and had an absolutely grand time together!

Forever thankful for all the love we share.

To more celebrations, family time, love and laughter in 2016 and beyond! Wishing everyone the best of the health, love, joy and peace!

Till we meet again!

Look who's 2!

2015-12-11T23:30:00.000-05:00

Where did my baby go?

These two years have gone by way too fast.

Last year when you turned 1, you weren't walking and we were anxiously waiting for you to start walking and once you did (around 13 months), from then to now, things have moved super fast.

You are now jumping, standing on one foot, hopping, skipping, dancing, laughing, building legos and magnet tiles, counting till 12 (skipping 1!), signing abcs, singing rhymes, reading books. Oh gosh, the list goes on and on!

You are such a big boy, so mature for your age, so independent that Kabir feels like the baby in our house and you his big brother! :)

You started going to Village Green Day School this year. You go twice a week for the mommy and me program. You enjoy your time and routine in the class.

You are such a mischievous little boy, with smile and cuteness that lets you get away with so much, REALLY, SO MUCH!

You love playing in the water and enjoy bath time a lot but your weekly swimming class is not something you enjoy much. We might take a break and try again in the spring/summer next year.

You are talking a lot, not just simple words but sentences which are 4 to 5 words long. It is super impressive. At your 2 year check up today, you're doctor was amazed to listen to you converse with me.

You vitals today came out to be 35.5" height and weighing 27 pounds.

Kabir and you are getting very close in shoe and clothes sizes. You have been wearing his shoes since a few months now and even some of the t-shirts which are of-course a little big but not much. Size 3 clothes are actually not looking big at-all on you and you're wearing them regularly.

You have been doing some art and craft and love to scribble and color with crayons.

Kabir wrote your birthday card yesterday. He loves you dearly and so do you. You both wait for each other during meal times and bath time and have the absolute fun playing with each other. Seeing you play together is such a lovely sight!

Your birthday morning, started with us all coming to your room together and singing Happy Birthday! :) We gave you your birthday cards that you really enjoyed looking at.

Then Lupe got you ready and as you came downstairs, you noticed there were presents! Of-course you rushed to them and both you and Kabir opened them together!

It was rather hard to re-direct you to the kitchen for breakfast!

You and I left for school around 9 am, where you played and celebrated your birthday with your friends!

Here's you eating your birthday cake pop! A favorite of you and Kabir!

It was such a beautiful day today with the weather in the 60s, just perfect to be in the playground! You were having so much fun that you didn't want to leave. :)

You and I spent the afternoon at your pediatrician's office getting your 2 year check up done. There were no shots needed this time, so it was a very pleasant visit. :)

When we got home, we saw another gift at the door, something I had ordered earlier but had lost home it would come on time, so it was a nice surprise. Once it is assembled you'll have a garage, a carwash and a repair shop for your car...and a gas station too! More fun imaginative play time to come!!

While you spent the afternoon resting, I went to pick your birthday cake and then Kabir and I together built your toy house, which daddy and I loved when we saw it and thought you would too!

Kabir and you had some fun time doing some pretend play once it was ready. It was cute to observe! The bath ducky sat on the potty seat and lego people slept in the bed and went upstairs to watch TV; Kabir said one of the lego people was you and the other was him! :)

For dinner you both requested spaghetti and meatballs, so while I was cooking, you both were having too much fun. I noticed we got another big delivery...

I wondered what was in it?!? Till I saw two cute things come out! :)

Oh goodness, what fun you both were having! Reading, kissing, jumping, playing

(found India!)

and before we knew it, it was time to eat!

You cut your birthday cake

enjoyed a nice warm bath, listened to many stories, tons of rhymes and went to bed loved.

Vir, you are adorable! Keep your charm alive and grown up to be a wise, curious, compassionate and loving boy. I know you will!

Happy Birthday, my darling! You are much loved!

Tight squeeze and a big kiss! I love you!
Mama

Turkey day at pre-school!

2015-11-24T21:42:00.000-05:00

Today, Kabir's class celebrated Thanksgiving. Feast was planned, parents were invited. There was lots of excitement!

I walked into Kabir's classroom and saw him dressed up as a turkey! He had shared with me that he was making a turkey costume in class but to see it in real was another thing. So beautiful and creative and he looked super cute wearing it!

PAC did a great job with the kids activities. Children wrote what they were thankful for, painted picture frames and made their own turkeys; a hammering activity which was so unique and such a big hit!

A parent got a polaroid camera and took pictures of children with their parents, to put in the freshly painted frames! What a great thought. A keepsake for years and years to come!

Children sang the Albuquerque is a turkey song that they had been practicing in the class! They all did such a great job! In the past, Kabir would usually be quiet but this time he was singing! It was such a joy to watch and listen to him sing with his friends!

The lyrics of the song go like this:

Albuquerque is a turkey,
And he's feathered and he's fine.
And he wobbles, and he gobbles,
And he's absolutely mine.

He's the best pet that you can get,
Better than a dog or cat.
Albuquerque, he's my turkey,
And I'm awfully proud of that.

It was a cheerful and a much enjoyable day that ended with a big feast! :)

School events this year are bittersweet for me as I know they are his last with this group. Next year Kabir will go to kindergarten. Kabir loves his pre-school and is thriving in this beautiful environment with great teachers and a wonderful set of friends who love him. So much to be thankful for!

Keeping traditions alive!

2015-11-13T15:24:00.001-05:00

This has been a week of festivities! We just passed Diwali and today is Tikka.

Diwali was my favorite festival growing up. I loved the mood, the hustle-bustle in the markets, the gift giving, the sharing, the diyas and the candles that adorned the houses, the rangoli, visiting relatives. It was all fun except the firecrackers. Daddy would still bring some silent ones for us and we would burn them on the terrace.

Here, it is different but I try to bring a little flavor of it for the boys to experience.

A few days before Diwali, I was talking to kabir about it and said we'll decorate the house for Diwali. His instantaneous response, "So can we bring the ghost out?"
Me: No, it's Diwali, the festival of lights. We'll light candles and decorate that way.
Kabir: Will Santa come?

I knew I had to go up a notch this time.

Since Diwali was on a weekday, it was a bit hectic but I did what I could! The prep started the night before. That day, I got back from work around 4:30 pm and started working on the special dinner that I had planned for us; Chole, Kulche and Halwa!

Later, adorned in Indian clothes, we lit candles and did a prayer. Boys got some cash gifts (just like Sumit and I did growing up) which went into their piggy banks and we enjoyed eating together, the special dinner, Kabir called Diwali food! :)

While driving Kabir to school the next day, he and I talked about why Diwali is celebrated and why it is called the festival of lights?
Kabir, after listening to my short story, asked "Why did Lord Rama go to exile?"
Indian mythology is complex to say the least. Hard to give a good answer with reasoning and logic. Lord Rama just did it out of obedience..hmm, not sure Kabir would get that! :)

Now that Diwali was over, it was time for Tikka, which is celebrated two days after Diwali. Even though it is a festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters, I celebrate it with the boys every year. I miss Sumit terribly and remember our childhood each time. I hope we are together one of the coming years to celebrate it together again.

I was taking to Kabir about Tikka last night and mentioned that I would give him a present but it's a surprise. He couldn't wait to know what it was! While going to bed, he said "Ma, you can tell me the surprise, I won't tell anyone, I'll keep it a secret." :)

I told him, a surprise is a surprise and he'll just have to wait! Poor child had to sleep thinking about it.

This morning, he was all excited! We did a sweet little ceremony and the boys were happy with their presents! :)

Halloween 2015

2015-11-03T15:54:00.001-05:00

Halloween, this year was way more exciting than it has ever been for us! In the past, it was about costumes and trick-er-treating. This year, we had decorations, a costume party at home, a visit to the haunted house and trick-er-treating! All on Kabir's request and all so much fun!

While the boys had fun picking out their costumes, dressing up and participating in parades, I enjoyed preparing spooky snacks for the get-together, which attracted a lot of our neighbors!

The boys also enjoyed the celebration and class parties at their pre-school. Kabir even participated in the pumpkin race! :)

I decorated the table with some edible spiders, ghosts, bats and a couple of varieties of food that looked like pumpkins. Too bad I couldn't capture all the food in close up shots except a few items. There were also regular looking finger food for the adults.

I had so much fun preparing the spooky snacks, so much so that, I am tempted to make this event an annual affair! :)

It was a fun Friday and Saturday for us with Sunday being a much welcomed recovery day! :) Hope everyone had a fun and spooky halloween!

Tribute

2015-10-26T08:34:00.001-04:00

For our family, Ruby buaji was a woman of strength, love and an epitome of will power. I vividly remember her visits to our house in Delhi and how we would wait by the window for her car to arrive.

How excited we used to be and how mama would make Kadhi Chawal on Ruby buaji's request. There was so much to talk about and so much love.

I remember our visits to Siddhartha Extention and New Friend's colony on weekend family gatherings and how I admired ruby buaji's style, her independence and all that she believed in.

She was suffering from leukemia and could anyone tell? NEVER. She was a strong willed woman, who never let her illness take over her. She always wore her bright and beautiful smile and her strength and will power kept her going.

Today, as we remember her on her birthday, I wanted to share the impact that she has left behind, not only on her family but also her friends around the globe.

I came across this writeup on one of Ruby Buaji's friend's (Priya Jain) FB page. It showed up on my newsfeed as Raj uncle was tagged and it got my attention as I saw Seema Singh mentioned. I was touched beyond words and so proud. Now is fitting moment to share it with you all.

I am glad to read that bone marrow registeries are being set up and being thought about. But a lot of work still needs to be done to create awareness.

About 12 - 13 years ago we lost a dear friend Seema Singh Chauhan because there was no registry in India. No family member was a match for her. Although many friends came forward to be tested, it was refused by the hospitals because this was then against the law. Seema was a very talented trainer who had worked on adolescent health and the girl child, as a member of Prerana, an organisation that was the first to take up this issue. Her work on a manual on adolescent health was used in many countries. A great loss to her many friends and colleagues...

On a personal note. I joined Prerana in 1987 just months after she had. As we became friends i discovered she had cancer and she got to hear about my epilepsy. We had not disclosed these facts to our colleagues in Prerana but soon we felt we should. Even as we feared how they might respond. But we were struggling with our health issues and it did not seem fair to conceal these. The support we got from everyone in Prerana was amazing. They became more than friends, and more like a family.

Seema is the one who pushed me to speak up in public about issues for people with epilepsy at a conference in 1989. She helped me think through and write the project proposal that took me to work in Belfast. She was a great friend, always cheerful and looking at the positive. We miss her.

This was the article that was shared: http://scroll.in/article/741410/treating-cancer-why-is-it-difficult-to-find-donors-for-bone-marrow-transplants-in-india

Buaji, you live long in our hearts and in the hearts of all your friends whose lives you have touched across the world. We love you and admire you for all that you have done.

Happy Birthday. We miss you dearly.

Warm Hug.