the one about Christmas

The beautiful people over at OUAS asked their followers what we did on Christmas Day.
 This is what I did. In the morning, after a sleepless night, (no, there was no kissing of Santa Claus under the mistletoe!) I got out of bed, and somehow got my normally semi-naked two-year-old into 'church clothes', and went to mass to celebrate the birth of my friend and confidant Jesus Christ. My little boy has questions about everything... He wanted to know why the prettily decorated plastic bells hanging from the church ceiling were not saying 'ding dong', and why the uncle (the priest) was hiding (he was sitting while the Readings were being read), and what did he give me to eat (communion), "What Mama, WHAT?" I have to confess, it was a most entertaining service! I'm sure Jesus thought so too, if for no other reason, than just to see my poor husband's consternation... After mass, we headed back home, to our fake tree (more indigenous trees are coconut trees in my part of the world), with its heap of presents. We ate breakfast, Adam drank milk first. With him its a 'mind' thing. I used to say 'comfort' thing, but I can't understand why he needs so much 'comfort'. Later, my mother and my brother and his family came over for lunch. My mother-in-law lives with us part of the time, so we were almost all there. My sister-in-law and her family came by after lunch. So, after more presents were exchanged, we all sat down to a home cooked meal.
Laughter, kids, good food and people I love to share it with! These are special moments indeed!
Here is the layout I made.

 These are some details.

The journalling is handwritten on a loose tag secured to the top of the page. The red tinsel ribbon is held down with eyelets. I used the Lost and Found Christmas Collection.
Thank you Nadia and all! Christmas was even better for having to share it with you! 

MME challenge

Hi! This is what I came up with for the current MME challenge. Everything on the page is MME, with a little help from Tim Holtz.
The pictures are of Adam just before he turned one. He was sitting in this bucket of water in the sunshine, looking like his bucket of joy was filled to capacity!

I just love this collection! My l/o is made mostly from scrap leftover from another project, but I love the colours and the prints so much, I just had to use it one more time.
Here's a close-up of the details.

Thanks for stopping by!

Special to Me

I've rekindled an old love! Prima.... I am of the opinion that a layout must have more than paper. Buttons, ribbon, lace, metal... the list goes on... and flowers... Whenever I've needed a flower, I've needed Prima. And now there's so much more! Trinkets and resins! Papers and tiles! And bling! Oh My God... its beyond amazing! But I live halfway across the globe, in India, and its so difficult to get my hands on product, so I have to pace myself.
I made this for Prima BAP Nov. I hope you like it. It's my first Prima l/o.

I love this picture of my husband and son. Let's just say it's Special to me!
Here are some close-ups of the details.

Oops! Sorry I forgot to rotate them! But you get the idea, no?
Ok. Thanks for stopping by. I'd really appreciate any advice on how to improve my flower-work, or anything else you might think needs improvement! 

OUAS

The wonderfully talented folk at OUAS have asked us to create a l/o describing what is so special about being a woman. I think having a baby is as special as it gets. I have a very special bond with my little son. I'm the centre of his expanding universe, and I love it! He is truly my heart walking about on two sturdy little legs, absorbing, learning and assimilating every waking minute of every day. His journey, while to some maybe mundane, to me is fascinating. And worth every change I've made to my life.
Here's how I interpreted the sketch.

 I used Graphic 45 papers. The Domestic Goddess line. I'm as far from a domestic goddess as one can get! Most days I'm a screaming mess, trying to cram too much into too few hours! But I'm nothing if not fanciful. And I fancy being a domestic goddess! And I absolutely adore G45.
These are a couple of close-ups of the details and my journalling.

That's it! Thanks for having a look!

MME blog challenge 29

Hey people! Thanks for stopping by. I made this l/o for the MME blog challenge 29. I have been in a creative slump for sometime now, so this was really a challenge for me. Lucky for me that the challenge was to follow the sketch using 'brown', and brown is one of my favorite colors.
This picture was taken after I'd made a chocolate cake. I thought it was pretty awesome that there was a little someone to lick the bowl and go, "Mmmmm"!

  Ciao!

Sketchy Thursday 9.22

I completed this layout in an hour and a quarter. I had to if I wanted to take part in this challenge. It had to be really simple, and I co-ordinated papers and embellishments from MME.

The pictures are of Adam when I shaved his little head. Everyone had told me that if I did shave his head, he'd get this really nice thick head of hair. And even though it made no sense to me, and went against every scientific thought in my head, I did it. The 'mother' in me overruled all logical argument. I was going to give the old wives tales the benefit of the doubt. I wasn't losing anything, and maybe, just maybe, my baby would have hair! Well, he has hair. Just as God intended. It's as fine and silky as gossamer.... And when he swims, you can see his scalp... So that's how Adam came to lose his hair, and I came back to my unwavering faith in science!
Thanks for looking!

Once Upon a Sketch 9.15

The Sept. 15 challenge at OUAS required you to journal on the photo. I chose to use rub ons. I love rub ons. I think they add so much extra pizzaz to a picture, that I frequently use them on my layouts. My favorite company MME used to make them a lot, but don't anymore. I wish they still did...
The photo is of my husband and my son playing in the rain. My husband is rather serious, and more concerned with the realities of life, like Adam falling ill, or getting hurt, and I have to push him out in the rain where he can be caught up in the enthusiasm of an energetic two-year-old. The journalling says, "We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." This is so my philosophy of life, that is was perfect for this layout.

Everything is from MME, except the Prima trinkets. The birdcage hangs from a 7 Gypsies chain. The flowers, trim & burlap are from my stash. And for me, no l/o is complete without some Tim Holtz Distress Ink.
Here are some close-ups.

That's it! Thanks for looking!

Sketchy Thursday 9.15

This week, we were required to make a l/o with the theme 'friend'. To me, friends are indeed the family we choose. We surround ourselves with amazing people, who lift us up when we are down,and who make us feel secure and loved no matter what.
Ali is all this and more to our family. We love him, our kids love him, and even our parents love him. I made this l/o because he ain't heavy, he's my brother...

Thanks for looking, and thank you Sketchy Thursdays for giving me this chance to show my friend how much I love him.

MME challenge- Back To...

Well it's that time of month again, when MME posts their challenge. This time you have to have Back to... as your title. I have to say I was stumped. I could only think Back to School, or Back to the Future! So I began to go through my photos, and came across this one. I love this picture.
This is what I came up with.

 Hope you like what you see! 

Once Upon a Sketch

I came upon this fantastic site on Sunday evening, and was so blown away by the sketch. After I saw what all the ladies had made, I wanted to have a go, if only to have my page up among all that beauty and talent! So THANK YOU, OUAS!
This l/o is about the year 2009, the year I gave birth to a baby boy. The picture is of him breastfeeding. He'd look up at me with such trust and love, that this was by far my favorite time of day. For me this picture encapsulates why this year was so momentous for me.
I used papers from my favorite company MME. Flowers are Prima, so is the trinket. Thanks for looking.

Sketchy Thursday 9.1

This is what I came up with for the 9.1 challenge at Sketchy Thursdays, and I'm really up against the clock to post in time. 

Sketchy Thursday Challenge 8.25

Ok. I'm officially obsessed. With sketches. I find they jump-start my creativity. Take this one for instance. I seldom work with circles. And this weeks sketch was all about circles. Of course, sketches are open to interpretation, and I thought I'd use squares... But then, why not push myself a little and stay true to the sketch. After all that's the challenge, right? So here's the sketch....                                                                        

And here's what I did with it...

I used MME papers and embellies and really had fun playing along. Thanks for a great sketch, and thanks for stopping by! 

MME challenge 26

Hi! This is what I came up with for the latest MME challenge. I never get to use my pink papers as all the layouts I do are of my son, and for some reason pink makes me think, GIRL. Well, not any more! I not only used the pink papers from the Lost & Found collection, I also used the embellishments from the same collection.

The layered sticker said "Little Princess", and that wouldn't do, so I covered the 'ss' with another sticker.

That's the close up. Thanks for stopping by...

the one about dancers

Have you seen a swan? They are these big white birds, that depending on your point of view, are extremely beautiful, graceful and majestic, gliding on a serene lake, definitely King of Birds in his element, or extremely disproportionate, fierce creatures, waddling on some grassy bank, squawking stridently, huge wings spread threateningly, certainly not to be trifled with.
When I think of dancers, I think of swans.
At a bus stop, or behind a desk, at the supermarket, or even picking up their child from school, you'd never know these completely ordinary people were so special. But play the music, and bam! Watch them toss their heads and shrug off that mantle of 'ordinary'. Now they are in their element! See their eyes sparkle as they strike a pose, strut their stuff and GROOVE!
I am part of the dance community. In October 2009, I joined The Danceworx, a dance school to some and a sanctuary to me. It is the place I come to three times a week, to play at being 'young' again. In the studio, I am no longer wife, or mother, or sister, or daughter.... I am anyone I want to be. Saraginah, temptress and seductress, or an innocent, reveling in the ability to fly, or an African warrior princess. Maybe a Smooth Criminal, or an American Gangsta, you know what I'm sayin'? For 1hr and 15mins, I forget my real life, and go where the music leads me... It's the highlight of my week, and to the people who make it happen, I am grateful...
They are teachers who lead the class. They find themselves at the studio, come rain or shine, and they dance their hearts out. That's after getting their asses whipped in tech class all morning. Lunch is an unspoken of luxury afforded them only if they are home ill or injured! Sometimes I catch them surreptitiously opening a box at 6:00pm and wolfing down a few spoonfuls of, by now congealing, pilaf or something. Or treating themselves to a greasy patty from the local bakery. I've heard the bakery owner has bought himself a new car since The Danceworx opened! These kids give so much of themselves. They invest in their students.
My first teacher was Pancham. She, on any given day, is a patch of sunshine in the landscape of my life. Then there was Akshat. Akshat reminds me of a clockwork soldier with his precise clean moves. Next was beautiful Ellie. She is like a coconut. Once you get through the tough shell, she is a sweet refreshing lovely. Not to be taken lightly, Ellie will push you till you reach your complete potential. Now there's Naomi. Young Naomi can light up a room with her energy and enthusiasm. She is one of the strongest women I know. It is this intrinsic strength that makes Naomi look like she's dancing on air... And of course there's Jaison... Funny, sensitive and absolutely riveting, Jaison is the Studio Head. Jaison conducts a class with an ease that suggests that he was born for this. He moves like a panther, each sinuous move blending into the other, yet in no way disguising the blatant power behind them. The only thing that might detract from this display of perfection, would probably be the mischief obvious in his eyes, or the funny nonsense that comes out of his mouth! I'm always waiting for some poor unfortunate to catch Jaison's evil eye, for then we are in for a treat of epic proportions!
Why do I dance? Why do I put my body through the rigours that are our exercises? Is it really necessary to stretch my muscles to these extremes?  Do I need to be able to spin around like a dervish?
Questions I ask myself regularly. Answer: No. It's as unnecessary as it is to eat a big fat brownie oozing melted chocolate... It just feels really good to be able to do it...
This is why I dance. Because I can.
It is said that our bodies are akin to temples. Then it is only fitting that we worship at the altar of dance. If the Aryans are the most superior human race, then I say that Dancers are the Aryans of athletes.
This is why I'm proud to be a dancer.

Celebrate Traditions

Six years ago I thought I was pregnant. I was nauseous, I had put on weight and wasn't following any birth control regime. However, the doctors assured me I wasn't. The only tiny seed I had developing in my body was in my brain. I had a pitutary adenoma. A benign tumour that wouldn't kill me, but could strike me blind overnight.
From that day on, my life turned into a series of intervals between medications, and hours spent in doctor waiting-rooms. This went on for three years. Finally the doctor won. The Endocrinologist, I mean. I could now move on to the Gynaecologist. One laproscopy, an IUI and three IVF's later, I was done with the whole  baby issue. My body was broken and so was my spirit. My faith was pretty shaky too.
 It was time to 'let go' and let the healing begin. Without the Doctors.
 Music, exercise and a fabulous holiday in Spain. Ten months later I had another seed growing inside me... We called it Adam.
It seems life hadn't given up on me...
I breezed through my pregnancy! I could eat anything! I did Yoga and even took a belly dancing class! Adam was a most resilient foetus! His only objection was to my sleeping. If I lay down, he'd kick me hard.
He was born at 3:17pm on 23rd January 2009. And from that day forward my heart has been walking outside my body...
We baptised him a month later.

So Happy to have You

This picture was taken by the amazing Dayanita Singh. Adam was 9 months old, and we were at Siddharth and Sumair's birthday party. Adam was enthralled by everything! The lights, the balloons, so many people... His curiosity was a tangible thing!

I made the layout with my favorite MME papers! I used metallic floss to add texture to my page, and covered the diecut with Distress Rock Candy.

the one about teething

My son was ill two nights ago. He was cutting a tooth, a molar, and cutting teeth makes him ill. His pediatrician says that when babies get teeth, all they get are teeth, but I am unconvinced. When Adam gets teeth, he stops eating, he gets the runs, he gets a mild fever, and no medicine makes him better.
 What's worse is that the tooth doesn't come out in one go. It's like an iceberg. Only the pearly white tip can be seen, surrounded by pink gums. The molar is the iceberg that sank the Titanic!
 Adam wont open his mouth to show me the offending mass, so I have to wait till he starts bawling. Then with him in my arms, I have to contort my neck into a most unnatural position, angle his open maw towards the light, trying to ignore the ringing in my ears from the huge volume of sound coming from his body, all the while making soft crooning sounds and offering platitudes, hoping to calm him down. I imagine our exchange goes somewhat like this:
Me: It's all right baby...
Adam: Waaaaaaaah (No it certainly is not all right)
Me: Everything going to be OK...
Adam: Waaaaaaah (Really? How so?)
Me: Rock a bye baby on the tree top...
Adam: WAAAAAAH (WILL YOU STOP THAT INFERNAL RACKET) 
Me: Ok hush now. I love you... I've got you...
Adam: Sniff... (That's better. I love you too. Just hold me.)
No medicine works on him when he's teething. Only I can make him feel better... I hold him, kiss his forehead and love him as much as I can. If he falls asleep, I go pee or eat or stretch...
I also give him Biochem #21. I think all mothers must have a bottle in their arsenal. Think of it as Magic in a bright yellow and red bottle... The last year has gone by in periods of 'teething' and between 'teething'. BC21 helped keep my sanity.     

the one about being a father

Being a father is easy. Any fool could do it. But being a good father.... that's a completely different kettle of fish! I recently read a really nice quote on fatherhood, and it went something like this: A father is his sons first hero, and his daughters first love. In my case, he was also the first man to break my heart... But moving on...
I don't subscribe to the view that we learn our parenting skills from our parents. In fact, this very misconception is what kept me from having a baby much earlier. I now know that the kind of parent you are, is most often the sort of parent you always wanted. Well this holds good for me anyway. And its enough for me. I also know there is no formula for parenting. The rules change with the circumstances, and are different for each child.
My husband is a great father. The kind of man I'm really happy to have as a father for my son. He plays with Adam even when he's tired. He bathes him, feeds him and makes up bedtime stories for him. He takes him to the park, and frets over him when he's ill. And best of all, he does these things because they make him happy! I have never loved him more than as I do when I watch him with my son...
This is what I thought about as I made this layout to celebrate the bond between my two great loves...

the one with the song

"I hear babies cry,
I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know,
And I think to myself...
What a wonderful world!"
                            -Louis Armstrong


This song is by far my favorite. It has never failed to lift my spirits if  I'm ever feeling low, and just hearing the opening bars brings a goofy smile to my face.
Mr. Armstrong has made me view my little son with a certain amount of healthy respect. Everyday I watch him, I see him learn something new... Right from the moment I pushed him out of my body... How to breathe, how to suckle, how to see, how to recognize... And then later, how to walk, talk, eat.... Still later, how to run, pitch your voice to sing, co-ordinate arms and legs to throw a ball, hold a pencil to write... It'll never end my son. It's truly a wonderful world... So much to see and discover and enjoy!

I made this layout for a MME challenge. In the picture, Adam is discovering the pleasures of Peekaboo! We'd spend happy hours together hiding behind curtains, him shouting "Where's Adam? Here I am!!"

    
Thanks for looking! Have a wonderful day!

the one about the monsoon

So the Monsoon is here... The glory days of the Mango are past, taking with it the unbearable heat, the loss of appetite, and the need to bathe three times a day! The heavens have opened, refreshing the baking asphalt, washing the dust off the trees, and veiling the scorching sun so the world is bathed in a gentle light.  Now there's a new host of things to take care of. Where are the umbrellas? Is the leak from last year back? I need rain friendly shoes. Adam needs a raincoat. My appetite's back. Have to make time to workout.
But apart from all these little molehills, there are the mountains to consider... This is seriously good weather to curl up with a good book. Even better to snuggle up to a warm someone... Best of all, there's playing in the rain with a happy two-year-old! He smears himself with wet mud, hunts slippery earthworms and gathers fallen flowers with the infectious enthusiasm only little boys are capable of. My small son brings me so much joy... All I can do is revel in it, and thank God for it.... and have a hot bath ready for him...  

the one about men

I think men are simple. They belong to the same species as us women, and thats where the biologists are wrong. But biology is a science, and the study of men is not a science but an art. Men are so different from us that it required a certain psychologist and author to compare us to two separate planets to drive home his point! I consider myself quite an authority on men and how they think, and I here's how I got that way.
I was born 13 months before my brother, and life threw at us so many brickbats and curve balls, that learning to dodge them drew us extraordinarily close to each other. He came to me with every single problem and I helped him out as best I could. Sometimes helping him out took the risky form of prompting him with the right spelling, while our tyrant mother was distracted, all the while keeping one eye on her current weapon of choice. Sometimes it involved gaping liked a fish out of water as he told the above mentioned tyrant an outrageous lie with such sincerity, that even Thomas (known for his untrusting nature) would believe. Once it involved pulling his foot out of the space between the railway sleeper and the metal track while a train screamed its shrill protest in the not-so-far distance... But I learned how his mind worked. When he came to me with girl problems, I told him what to say. And I learned how his mind worked. I learned what he perceived to be a problem. These things I was able to apply to my other boy friends. And because their problems seemed so natural to me, the solutions so simple, they found it easy to talk to me. And I found it easy to understand them.
When I married Edgar, I learned new things. One of the biggest revelations I had about men was this:
WE WOMEN COMPLICATE THINGS.
I repeat, men are simple creatures. Feed them. They are easy to manage when their tummies are full. Don't deny them alcohol. It makes them want it more. Not because they want it, but because they want to feel like they have control over their decisions. Don't ask them how they FEEL. They don't know and they get totally stressed with wondering how to answer. Instead of thinking about their feelings, they're trying to figure out what exactly you want to hear. They will most probably get you wrong and you'll end up fighting. Don't try to protect them. Let them ride their big bikes and play their rough games. Just pray that they break nothing more than a collar bone. Appreciate them. Everybody likes that. Smile at them. Its probably why they fell in love with you. Remember why you fell in love with him. Its probably the thing that irritates you the most about him, but whatever...
I know that apart from feeding them, the rest are virtually impossible for us to follow. I struggle with the rest everyday. But at least I try. If you want the man in your life to be happy, and the man can be your husband, your brother or your son, I suggest you try. There's nothing nicer than a happy man. He'll play with your kids, massage your feet and even do the dishes... It makes it all worthwhile...
And oh, have sex... they really love that. Its easy on you too...  

the one about happiness

I know the secret to HAPPINESS! This is my secret.
EVERYTHING I DO, I DO BECAUSE IT MAKES ME HAPPY!
Sounds strange? Selfish? Take a minute to think about it... I might like to think of myself as some kind of martyr. I may say to myself, "oh I have to do this load of laundry and most of it is Edgar's, and look at him! He's sitting there watching TV... enjoying himself!" But what's actually going on, is that at some deep primal level, it makes me feel good to be taking care of the man I love. It makes me happy to think of myself as a good wife. Not it makes Edgar happy to think of me as a good wife, but it makes me happy to think of myself as a good wife. If it really bothered me, doing the laundry, rest assured, I'd find some excuse not to do it. I'm pretty good at that. And also, now that I'm aware of the secret, I have no compulsions about not doing the laundry if I don't think doing it will bring me any significant measure of pleasure. I not worried about being thought of as a bad housekeeper. Better a bad housekeeper than a miserable bitchy wife!
The other day, I had to wash Adam's bum. Again. I was tired and really did not fancy smelling shit at that point. So I asked Edgar to do it. He said, "You do it, you're better at it than I am." Like I've done some special course in bum-washing or something! Man, was I pissed off...A thousand scathing remarks surged through my brain, rushing to the tip of my tongue like Air India hostesses going for the fruit...(non Air Indians please read: like a fire in dry grass).  But then I caught Adam looking up at us, wide eyed. Confused. My heart missed a beat. I picked him up. And began looking for things that would give me pleasure. His tiny soft bum appearing, shiny and brown, clean now. The smell of his silky hair now close to my nose as I bent over him... This moment of private togetherness, just the two of us.. And then as if he sensed it, he turned up his little face, pursed his lips and kissed me. Just like that, I was very happy.
I guess my point is that happiness is a very transient state of mind. I'm happier now than I was one minute ago, and not as happy as I was yesterday. Happiness comes from within and we carry it with us wherever we go. I see husbands leaving wives, wives hurting husbands all looking for happiness. You're never going to find it outside yourself. YOU are responsible for making YOURSELF happy. Not your husband, not your wife, and certainly not your kids. If they do, its because you choose to look at the wonderful things they do,and acknowledge them. And if they don't its because you're not digging deep enough..
Also, I have a list of things that make me truly happy. Simple things, like solving my crossword, dancing, music, scrapbooking, reading, a good sitcom.. Just my 'things'. Regular stuff. But I make sure I do at least one thing from my list everyday.
That's it. That's my secret.
So go out there and be happy!  

I love being your mom

These pictures were taken over Diwali. The whole family was together and it was lovely...

the one about the Hindus

My brother married a Hindu. I cannot begin to tell you how REFRESHING that was for me! She opened my eyes to strange and hitherto only imagined facets of life. From bhaji that was so tasty that one could justify the argument for being vegetarian, to wondrous stories of Gods and Kings that defy all logic and reasoning.
You see, I was brought up in an (albeit dysfunctional), Catholic home. I lived in predominantly Catholic Bandra, went to good old St. Joseph's Convent, run by The Daughters of the Cross, and my playground was the Mt. Carmel's Church compound. I was sooo catholic. I 'm not saying that's a bad thing... I mean, I can carry a tune well enough, I can jive, I can play football, and know I must say, "Switch on the light, please" as opposed to "On the lights." But the Bhaji at my house was a mess. A soggy, greenish sludge sometimes sprinkled with coconut! I'd like to see any vegetarian live in my house for a week and not reach out for the pork!
As for the mythology, not too many Catholics know the difference between Ram and Krishna! They'd probably know the odder ones... like Ganesh and Hanuman... But apart from their names and too few facts picked up from Amar Chitra Katha, not much else.
I was like them. Till I joined Air India. There I met people of other religions. People with STORIES! So on those long flights to Heathrow and JFK, instead of asking them for their take on the latest affair doing the rounds, I'd ask them to tell me a story. (Or to give me a recipe). People need to be the centre of attention. Especially the quiet, not so good looking people. And sometimes they have the best stories. (Or recipes). I'd take all these stories and file them away, for use God only knew when..
But I was always on the outside looking in. Till Owie married Priya. Now I too have a reason to celebrate Diwali. I go for puja's, and clap and sing and do Aarti... I get to wear the most beautiful Indian clothes, courtesy my generous Anju Didi. And I can tell stories to three of the most adorable little boys. Stories of Kings and Demons and Gods who walk the Earth bearing weapons that no longer seem farfetched... Though I have to admit, I don't have a good enough reason when asked why Dhashrath had three wives... but then I can't explain how Jesus could walk on water...
Us Indians, we have such a rich and colourful heritage. I'm just glad Adam has a chance to experience all of it... He's one lucky boy! Easter eggs, Santa claus and firecrackers! And guess what Catholics... Jesus is cool with this. He told me!      

the one about the potty

Today I'm so proud of my little two year old. For the past year now, I've been asking him if he'd like to try conducting his business on the potty, to which he'd emphatically answer, "No". One time, about six months ago, he did dump in the potty. But it was an accident, and it literally scared the shit out of him! Since then, he's VERY particular about asking for a diaper every time he wants to go.
This morning, he suddenly stopped doing his puzzle and asked for his diaper. I said no, he screwed up his face, I stuck to my guns, trying to sense how much to push. He insisted, but my gut told me to hold out some more. I pulled out another weapon. I tempted him with a story about a tiger from a book I only keep in the toilet. His grey eyes lit up, and he ran to the toilet. First set- Mama!
Now we were on the potty. By now I know that that counts for nothing. Minutes could go by with no results. Minutes that seem like hours... So every few seconds I reminded him to try... All this during my highly animated story of the little tiger. He looked at me. Grey eyes appraising... I told him he could use the toilet paper. He smiled. A little pee, some gas... Second set- Mama!
Then he looked up at me. Big trusting liquid eyes. "Mama, please hold me tight." I did. I held my precious boy close. And he crossed a milestone... Game, set and match- Mama! After he was done and washed, I kissed the top of his tousled head and told him how proud of him I was. He ran off, the moment passed, and I was left wondering at how something I was so concerned about could mean so little to him. Potty training... there are chapters devoted to it...
My point is, fellow mothers, these things are natural. Time and Mother Nature takes care of it. All we have to do is nudge a little, and love a lot... And not pay heed to other moms who proudly say "oh my baby was potty trained at 9mths". After all, this little fact of life does not appear on ones resume, does it?
Not that I'm saying everything on a resume is important... But that another time...  

My layout!! The first one I made after I went into a complete creative slump from which I couldn't get out for MONTHS!!! I hope you like it. The picture is of my son when he was 11mths old. We took him to Goa, and he just couldn't get enough of the beach... He'd only stop to refuel and off he'd go. All sandy and salty.... 

The debut

Hello,
Thanks for visiting. Can I offer you a cup of coffee? No... some cold water, perhaps? Yes? Oh good! in this weather it is the most refreshing drink available... If you can't get your hands on some freshly made Nimbu paani, that is... Not that bottled stuff, they have a strange aftertaste...the REAL thing... Don't know what Nimbu paani is? I think you call it LEMONADE...
I started this blog primarily to showcase my scrapbook pages. You see, I made a layout for a MME challenge, and everyone else had their own blog. To load my picture I was asked for my URL. Now I only speak English, and enough Hindi to get by. I don't know any Klingon or any other cyber related language. In fact I'm a self-confessed computer Neanderthal. I can send an e-mail, and a few weeks ago, my beautiful niece Alyssa taught me to chat on Facebook. I love the FEEL of a book. I like turning pages. I find comfort in feeling the weight of the book in my bag, knowing that with it there I'll never be lonely or bored. But I digress, the way I'm wont to do...So, in the same way, I love scrapbooking. I like the texture of the paper...Playing with the flowers and the inks... And the photographs... Pieces of my life here for me to touch and marvel at. No longer trapped in my precious Macbook, a gift from my sweet baby brother.
 But I also like appreciation. And in India I think I'm the only scrapbooker!  Also I'm kinda under what sometimes feels like house arrest. My captor is the cutest two year old. I have only him and the house help to talk to. So I decided to get myself a BLOG!!
Here I can talk/write to myself without seeming completely crazy! And maybe someday soon I'll be able to post my work too!!