2011- The year that was

2011 was an eventful year. We moved homes, we moved cities. It was a big change and a beginning to a new start. I learnt a lot from this new city we moved to. I’ve become more assertive and aggressive. ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’, they say. That rule applied to me very aptly.

I’ve never been an aggressive person, but if you are not assertive here, even a leaf will not turn. That’s how the lifestyle is here. But the city has welcomed us with open arms and gave us a warm place to live in. It accepted us well. Thank you, Gurgaon.

Mimi turned four in 2011 and there was a sea change in the little chap. He’s grown up overnight. Grown taller and stronger and more mischievous but still has the loving twinkle in his eyes that greet you with an innocence that will disarm you. He’s got lots of homework these days. I hope he grows up to be a good student and more sensible human being.

The husband also saw a change in himself after we came to this city. He’s more confident of himself now.

I hope…

… that 2012 brings more joy and happiness in our lives. I want Peace most of all. God has given me everything I need to live well, I only pray for peace. I want to finish this post with an array of assorted pictures. Enjoy!

The view from our gallery in summer…

… and in winter. Yes! That’s fog! Or Frog, as Mimi calls it.

Gurgaon is a bird watcher’s paradise. I’ve heard there is a bird sanctuary also nearby. I’m yet to visit it. You can find all sorts of birds here and it makes me happy to see them. I don’t know which bird is in the first picture. The second picture has some parrots that visited us one morning. They were so noisy, but beautiful.

That’s Mimi, when it got to cold to even move a finger.

 That’s him monkeying around.

He got angry with me and decided to sulk under the wash basin.

 

Random Ramblings

So, how have you all been? Its been long since I blogged ad today being the last Sunday of 2011, I thought I should blog. But I dont have a story. So I’m just going to update you on the random things that are happening around me.

To begin with, we’ve been braving some new lows in the temperature front. Gurgaon has touched almost 2 degrees centigrade in the last week. This is our first extreme winter and wow! are we having some “cool” fun. There are woolens all over the place. Mimi’s covered all the time. Gloves, socks, cap, 3 shirts and a sweater with 2 pairs of trousers.

Talking of Mimi, I must tell you about how he’s become my little helper in the kitchen. He wants to help me with everything. Be it chopping the veggies, putting things back into the fridge or even making chapatis. I’m glad he’s developed this new habit.

My hubby’s already dreaming that’ll he be a big chef someday. Oh yeah! Let’s see if the handy helper role holds good for the next coupl’a weeks.

Mimi’s also been singing away to glory. Every waking minute is spent in singing. Two songs are topping the charts. One is ‘Jana Gana Mana’, out national anthem and the other is ‘Jingle Bells’. This is along with the hindi version, which goes like this ‘Ghanti bajao, ghanti bajao, aaya Santa claus’.

And they had a healthy food week at school last week. So before every meal, Mimi’s been asking me ‘Mom, is this healthy food?’I'm happy on one end that he’s conscious about his eating habits, but on the other end I can’t order that pizza on a lazy day.

Here are some pictures of Mimi. That thing that looks like a face is the first chapati / roti that Mimi made. I’m amazed at the shape it took. The one with the red coat is his school uniform. And the other one is how he’s dolled up at home.

The schools are closed for winter. 3 weeks of no waking up early in the morning. Bliss!

I’ve been very busy with crochet. But that deserves a separate post.

TINTIN

I was first introduced to TINTIN when I was about 8 years old by my 2 cousin brothers. They were huge fans of the Captain and it din’t take me long to follow them. Holidays meant TINTIN and more of TINTIN. It hardly took any more time for my dad, mom and sister to become TINTIN fans. We were all so crazy that over the years we managed to purchase all the books there were, of his adventures.

And over the last couple of months I managed to get Mimi hooked on to TINTIN. The timing of the movie couldn’t have been better. We went to watch the movie today in 3d. And I had such a fantastic time watching it. The movie has a little bit from several of his stories. There’s Red Rackham’s Treasure and The Secret of the Unicorn. Of course these are actually part I and part II. But there is also Ben Salaad from The crab with Golden Claws and the ever famous Bianca Castafiore.

A few twists and turns which you won’t find in the orginal stories make it more interesting. Oh yes! I forgot about the Thompson twins, with a ‘p’ as in psychology. They were their usual silly selves.

It was Mimi’s first 3d experience and he enjoyed it thoroughly. Those who’ve not seen it already, try and catch it as soon as you can.

{Image courtesy: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0983193/}

Hot from the crochet oven

Hey all… how have you been?
Am good, am good…. Winter’s setting… no! it’s set in. And brrrrr…. all the woollies are out. Socks, shawls, scarves, mitts, sweaters, mufflers and caps/hats… all of them.

So my crochet oven’s been working overtime. Want to see the goodies??

This is a shawlette I made for a friend.

Small purses I made as Diwali gifts.

This muffler was made for my neighbour in Gurgaon. A very nice friend…

My first project that included handles and lining. I was very happy about the outcome.

My first sewing project: a mobile phone case made with Mimi’s old denim trousers. It has padding of poly fill between the outer cover and inner lining.

I was so thrilled with this project….

 

Diwali ’11

Waiting for Diwali is like waiting for your birthday. You wait the whole year and then ‘BANG’ it’s gone in a jiffy.
But, its a different story that I don’t wait for birthdays anymore, because they bring news of you getting older. On the other hand, it also means my son is growing up. You see, I have this wierd habit of straying from the topic. So, shall we go back to Diwali.

This was our first Diwali outside Bangalore, away from home, in our new home.
It was a memorable one. I have to thank GOD that I had a couple of friends with me and some very nice neighbours who helped make our Diwali really bright and happy.

I hadn’t seen so many lights during Diwali, before. Everyone (almost) decorates their balconies with serial lights.
The shopping malls and all shops are bursting at the seems with people. Shopping, shopping and more shopping. Not to mention, eating and more eating.
Being in an apartment complex has some plus points. The evening of Diwali saw everyone come down in the garden area and there was a grand display of fireworks.

Leaving you with some pictures.

Hot from the crochet oven

Its been soooo long since I did an update on my crochet. So here goes, this post is a round up of what my hookie adventures.

Amigurumi CAL.
The SAARC team at Ravelry had a Amigurumi Crochet Along. I was happy to be a part of it and made these two special Amis. This one’s called
Dr. Luv

And this one’s called ‘Mr. Red Hot Pants’.

This year’s winter is going to be my first encounter with extreme cold weather and I’m excited. So I’ve been busy making some wearables for the whole family.

A beanie for Mimi and the husband.

Mufflers…

Mittens for mom

Waistcoat for my sister.. actually its a surprise for her b’day. Its a different story that her birthday is long gone and also that she might be reading this now.. So sis, if you are reading this.. SURPRISE!
I used this colour combination becuase I’ve seen you use that black and red sweater for so many years. I hope you like it.

ETA: I spoke to my sis who got her waist coat just today (Sep 11) and it fits her sooooo well… sniff! I’m so happy

I’m making another waistcoat for my dear niece, but that’s still WIP. So it’ll probably feature in my next crochet post.

Hair band… for a pretty young girl I know.

All the designs have been picked up from different websites. I wish I had remembered to save the links. I cant seem to find where I got them from, but I’d like to thank all the wonderful people who shared their work so we could reproduce the wonderful pieces of crochet.

Enjoy!

TEN…

Shaktii tagged me for this post. Happy to give you tid bits of information about me. Read on and enjoy!

TEN TO START.

1. Are you single? No! Happily married.

2. Are you happy? Umm… Happiness is a state of mind. Right now my mind is in a happy place, because I’ve ordered some awesome yarn soon to be made into shawls.

3. Are you bored? Absolutely no

4. Are you naked? Is this a trick question?

5. Are you a blonde? No.

6. Are you moody? Often, yes.

7. Are you a lover/hater? Lover

8. Are you hot/cold? Warm as a cookie

9. Are you Irish? I had Irish coffee last week. Will that qualify?

10. Are you Asian? 100%

TEN FACTS.

1. Name: Medha

2. Nicknames: Medh, Medhu

3. Birth mark: none

4. Hair color: Black

5. Natural hair color: Black

6. Eye color: Brownish black

7. Height: 5.2″

8. Facebook Mood:

9. Favorite color: All earthy and pastel shades

10. One Place to Visit: GOA 

TEN THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE.

1. Do you believe in love at first sight? No, doesn’t happen

2. Do you believe in soul mates? Yes, very much.

3. Have you had crushes? Plenty

4. Have you ever been hurt emotionally? Umm… yes

5. Have you ever broken someone’s heart? I don’t think so

6. Have you ever been cheated on? No

7. Have you ever liked someone and not told them? Yes

8. Are you afraid of commitment? No

9. Who was the last person you hugged? My son

10. Who was the last person you kissed? My son

TEN THIS OR THAT.

1. Love or lust? Love

2. Jungle trek or by the beachside? I’m a waterbaby, so definitely the seaside

3. Cats or dogs? Neither

4. A few best friends or many regular friends? A few best friends

5. Television or internet? Both

6. Chinese Or Indian? Indian and more Indian

7. Wild night out or romantic night in? Wild Night out

8. Money or Happiness? Happiness

9. Night or day? I want to say evening, but I’ll go with Night

10. MSN or phone? Phone 

TEN HAVE YOU EVER.

1. Been caught sneaking out? No

2. Been skinny dipping? No

3. Stolen? No

4. Bungee jumped? No

5. Lied to someone you liked? No

6. Finished an entire jaw breaker? No

7. Been so embarrassed that you wished you could sink through the floor? No

8. Wanted an ex bf/gf back? No

9. Cried because you lost a pet? No

10. Wanted to disappear? Many times… 

TEN PREFERENCES IN A PARTNER.

1. Smile or eyes? Smile

2. Light or dark hair?  Dark

3. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

4. Shorter or taller? Taller

5. Intelligence or attraction? Intellegence

6. Romantic or spontaneous? Spontaneous

7. Funny or serious? Funny

8. Older or Younger? Older

9. Outgoing or quiet? Quiet

10. Sweet or Bad Ass? Sweet

TEN HAVE YOU’S.

1. Ever performed in front of a large crowd? Yes

2. Ever done drugs? No

3. Ever been pregnant? Yes

4. Ever sung in public? No

5. Ever been on a cheer leading team?  No

6. Ever Been on a dance team? Yes

7. Ever been on a sports team?  No

8. Ever been in a drama play/production? Yes

9. Ever owned a BMW, Mercedes Benz, Escalade, Hummer or Bentley? If toy models count, then Yes!

10. Ever been in a rap video? No

TEN LASTS.

1. Last phone call you made: Husband

2. Last person you hung out with: One of my best friends

3. Last person you fought with: Husband

4. Last time you worked: this morning

5. Last person you tackled: rather not say

6. Last person you IM’d: Husband

7. Last person on earth you wish to see: I really don’t hate anyone so much that I dont wish to see them

8. Last person(s) you went to the movies with: One of my best friends

9. Last thing you missed: Bangalore… missing it like crazy. The yum food, specially

10. Last thing you ate:  Poha for breakfast. Lunch, coming up. Wanna join?

Mimi Tales

There is dead silence in the house as soon as Mimi goes to school.
And then… the silence dies the minute the door opens and he enters home again.

Non stop, non stop, the rhymes and songs are rattled one after another.
A,B,C,D,E,F, fee, X,Y,Z (Version 1a)

Two days later and some practice in school
A, B,C,D,E,F,G,X,Y,J,K,ELLO MENNO P, ELLO, MENNO, P,Q, R, S,T (version 1b)

Then there are some hindi songs which only he can understand. I can get only the last line – ‘Apna ghar hai sabse pyara’ – meaning ‘our home is the best’.

I can’t imagine how he can keep chattering non stop. With me, with his toys, with himself, with his cycle, with his imaginary friend and with his food.

Ask him if he has friends in school, he’ll tell you ‘Yes’.
What are their names? ‘One is the one with Sinchan bag and the other is the one with Spiderman bag. I don’t know their names.’

It’s easy to please Mimi. A couple of bourbon biscuits or noodles for lunch is all it takes for you to get a hug and a thank you from him.

Even this morning, when I got him all ready for school, he was so happy with his outfit that I was awarded a hug and thank you. By the way, they had Independence day celebrations at school. We had to send kids dressed in saffron, white and green.

After much hunting and getting wet in the rain while hunting and etc., I came up with this…

Enjoy! By the way, that hat/ head band is home made. Improvised a table mat.

Crochet heavy post coming up next. Watch this space for more….

Dear Mimi,

This day, that year…. It was about 9am and I was lying down. The assistants were running about (actually not running, but it sounds exciting), getting everything ready for me. The main doctor came in and I asked to get ready for the anasthesia. They bent me like a bow.. *%$#$%… how can you expect a lady with a large tummy to bend, but I did it and OUCH! in went the needle. I could actually feel the medecine go into my spine. And BANG! about 5 minutes later I could not feel anything below my chest.

“Ok, we are going to cut you now” said the doctor.

“OK! You dont have to tell me all the gory details” I told him, in my mind ofcourse.

Two minutes later, the Operation theatre was spinning round and round and round. I had never experienced that before. I told my doctor that the room was spinning. “Stay awake, talk to us” he said
“No! no! please leave me alone, I want to close my eyes”
“Ok! you close your eyes”he said and continued with the procedure

A doctor standing near my head told me “I’m going to push your stomach” and I could feel him pushing my tummy. About 3 minutes later, which actually felt like eternity, I heard a cry. “its a boy” said someone. “its 9.25 am” said another. “all is well” said the paediatritian. They cleaned you, weighed you, measured you height, wrapped you and kept you near my face.

Since I couldn’t feel my hands (remember the injection in my spine), I could not hold you. “I’ll hold him later” and someone carried you outside while they “stitched me up” again.

All this while your dad was standing outside the OT. Apparently he had had a bout of loose motions that morning. I’m not sure if he was more nervous than me, or if it was just an excuse not to come into the OT. Ask him when you read this.

What I must tell you is, there was no mommy baby bonding the minute I saw you. I was like, “ok! so there you are. I’m your mom and I’m going to give you a tough time if you dont listen to me. So now, sleep!” I felt this way, because I was tired from the surgery, from the nine months of huffing and puffing and carrying you around.

But that was 4 years ago. This day – July 11, that year -2007. You were born. You came into our lives to bring unlimited joy and happiness and love.
Each day has been more fulfilling than the one before. There have been days when I’ve been upset with you, angry with you and given you a hard time for being naughty.

You have grown so much from this day, that year…
We were worried about your speech because you did not talk till you were three. Now, we are worried you won’t stop talking ever. You pick up words quickly and use them in relevant places like:
Your aunt and granny were looking at a dried plant and wondering how to get it back up when you said “mummy ko bolo complan pilaye”

You can play with your zillion small cars all day long, all by yourself. You’ll race them, get them to bang into each other and continue to talk to yourself

You’ll rattle off some sentences and at the end say “Amen”. That’s when I know you’ve just said your school prayer.
You love helping me around the house. Be it putting the veggies in the fridge, hanging the clothes to dry, bringing them back in or even helping me when I was helping serve food at a friend’s daughter’s birthday. When all the kids had sat down to eat you went around making sure all their plates had spoons. I am so proud of you for little things like these.

You can sense when I’m angry or upset. And the minute you know that you come up to me and say “Amma, dont get angry” and you kiss me. I can never stay upset beyond this point.
You are shy when there are too many new people around you. But once you get to know someone, you will cling on to them for life. You can really make us laugh. Like to day you said “my teacher has asked me to tractace (practice) basket ball”, just coz you wanted to play while I wanted you to sleep. I believe stand up comedy can be a professsion you can choose. You can giggle and laugh whole heartedly when you watch your favourite cartoons.
You’d rather not play with the kid who hit you (for no reason), than hit him back.
But remember baby, this will not work everytime. You must learn to defend yourself. And I’m here till such day.

So Mimi, wishing you a happy 4th birthday. We love you to bits and are always here for you. You know I dont have to say that.

Love,

Mommy

Leaving you with some pics

At age 1

Arranging 'all' the jigsaw puzzles that you have, when you get bored

 

 

Blogger award

Horray! A blogger award. I’m so happy and touched. Lucy, a friend from the crochet world and the blogger world, has awarded me this. And I’m honoured to receive it. Thank you so much Lucy.

A part of receiving this award requires me to tell you 10 things about me which you don’t know. Ok! let’s see how far I can go with giving out dark secrets about me…

1) I’m a stay at home mom, but I do work from home for a wonderful baby centric website called www.babycenter.in
I’m the community moderator and I enjoy working with BabyCenter.

2) I’ve learnt 2-d animation. And I’m proud to say it’s one of my qualifications.

{sorry, i dont have any images to display now}

3) I’ve learnt and played SITAR for almost 6 years. I had to give up as I could not sit down due to a knee surgery. Hope I can get back to playing it someday.

4) Three of my stories have been accepted for a children’s magazine ‘TINKLE’, 2 of which have been published already.

5) I can be laaaaaazzzzzyyy at times. If I get into my lazy mode, that’s it, you can’t get me to even lift a finger, forget making dinner that day. Not joking.

6) I have this wierd habit of counting things. When I’m waiting someplace and have nothing to do I’ll start counting whatever can be counted. The number of railings on the window. I’ll count the number of curtain rings, the number of stairs and if nothing, I count my teeth… yes, it’s wierd. And its called Arithmomania.

I just came back from Wikipedia – and they call it as a mental-disorder. Whoops! So there, you can tell the world now that you have a loony friend.

7) I can bake some excellent cake. Banana walnut and chocolate are my specialities. No, not together. Banana walnut is seperate from chocolate.

8.  I’m addicted to the TV show FRIENDS. I’ve watched re runs of all the episodes at least 5 times. So now you know which DVDs to gift for my b’day.

9) I have a creative streak to me – I can do good oil painting, embroidery, crochet and can write. I love writing stories for small children.

{this painting is not my original creation. I copied it from a calender. Thanks to the original painter for inspiring me}

10) My biggest desire is to get a Tattoo..

There these are some of things you did not know about me.

Enjoy!