Category: Children
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A Journey In Pictures
Sometimes pictures bring to life what words can’t. So, here is a glimpse of the places we went and the sights we saw.
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The Very Many Firsts
The window over my sink lets in a mottled mix of sun and clouds. A grey sky putting up a good resistance to the Sun. I stand there rooting for the Sun and smiling a goofy smile. I sip on my coffee and reach for my phone. I scroll through my pictures selecting randomly. Each…
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Sisters, Forever.
They sit side by side, their blonde locks sticking up with the static in the air. They leave a trail of hats, winter jackets, gloves and scarfs from the door to the kitchen. I lay their school bags between them and me, a buffer that gives me time to really wake from my nap and…
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Daycare, Me Time and All That Jazz
We set off, Laddu and I each morning. Today she is in an orange dress, a ball of sunshine herself. I belt her in, put her lunch bag on the passenger seat, slide in, turn the radio on and off we go. My fingers keep time with the music on the steering. Her silver anklets…
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Little People Observations
“Why do people spit and throw trash on the road Amma? We should teach them not to.” “Why do they keep asking us for our names Amma?” “Why does everyone keep touching our hair Amma?” “So many vehicles on the road is hurting Mother Earth Amma, why don’t people ride bikes or scooter?” If I…
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Little People Problems
“I can’t believe foreigners are in our apartment!” “Won’t they think India is dirty?” Her face wrinkles in concern as she eyes Ammu and Pattu as they soar on the squeaky swings. I look at them too and answer the girl in front of me with questions of my own. We trade replies and she…
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Growing Up
“I am off to read my book…” She waves the book in her hand as I look quizically. My maternal instincts are screaming something is off. “Are you taking the iPad with you?” I ask, eyes scanning for evidence. She holds out her hands which hold the hard bound copy of Charlotte’s Web. I smile,…
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Nature, Nurture and Why Openness in Adoption Matters
It is late morning. Ammu and Pattu are out the door, on their way to the bus-stop. Saathi is getting ready for work. The first level of our home is quiet. Laddu and I are ambling along, bending down to pick up stray pieces from the floor. We stop at the patio screen looking up…
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On my journey to my daughters
While I have written about it many times on the blog, this is an attempt for a different audience. Read and share please? The day I met my husband for the first time, under the watchful eyes of both our families, I spoke to him about partnership, about equality, about feminism. He asked me about…
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Notes to my past self
I lie sprawled on the couch. My feet touching Saathi’s as he is stretched out at the other end. Laddu crawls back and forth aligning herself to the planes and angles of his body and the curves and contours of mine. I lie not asleep but in a deep state of exhaustion after what has…
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Space in the middle
We savor each moment. We look at the horizon together, our hands linked by the little ones in between.
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The not so fine moments of mothering
Mothering is not just rainbows and unicorns. It is the not so fine moments that do not get vocalized.
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New beginnings
I woke to the shrill sound of the alarm going off at 5:00 AM. Saathi groaned and suggested snoozing another half hour. I figured it would not hurt and reset the alarm to 5:30 to catch a few more winks of sleep. The next time it beeped, I was up with razor-sharp focus. The next…
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Circles
I wave bye to my identically dressed daughters staring at the road long past the time it took for the car to disappear from sight. I walk back reluctantly, slowly. Last days like first days are momentous. They bring back memories. They run like montages at the back of your mind intruding into your consciousness…
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Older, Wiser
I stand in front of the mirror, you in my arms. I move the dryer in gentle circles around your head. Your curls shine and tighten. I put the dryer down and tousle your curls. There is a smidgen of moisture left. I look at us in the mirror as we walk out. I love…
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Letters to my daughters: Milestones
Dear Laddu, My left palm rests on the top of your head. The warmth from me seeping into you, lulling you into sleep. You smile in your sleep. I find myself mirroring you. The apples of your cheek shine with the sheen of the coconut oil I massaged into your skin. It was not too…
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Milestones – 5 years!
I feel you before I hear you. Your tiny hand is on my forehead. My eyes flutter awake to your “Can you wake Appa so he can put me in bed?” I absently shake Saathi who sleep-walks you to bed before he falls back in his a few minutes later. I am wide awake now.…
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Milestones that sneak up on you
Sometime late last year, I browsed the local schools online trying to find out what the process was like to register for Kindergarten. I got on mailing lists. I marked dates on my calendar and let it be. One fine morning I woke up to a gentle reminder that registration was coming up. The choices…
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Parenting conundrums
I put away clothes and tidy up the bedroom picking up stray doll parts and mini bags stuffed with blocks. The TV blares from downstairs as the Colts play the Chiefs. Saathi’s voice modulates as he explains the game to the girls. I smile as straighten the bed and fold the warm throws. As the…
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Living in the now
The is little light filtering into the dining room where I sit. The blinds are down. The heating system wheezes as it deals with the cold outside. The kitchen window is in my peripheral vision and all I see is gray. Strains of a sweet childish voice singing herself to sleep trickles down. A smile…