A Day At The Daycare

       "One of the greatest gifts you can give is your time . "   


Today I had a very wonderful experience volunteering for "Splash Party "at Toddler K's daycare . I was there for few hours, not a whole day per se . But I learnt a lot and encountered many situations during my time spent there .

All the kids know me and were very comfortable around me from the beginning . They were puzzled at first but then excited to see me stay longer than the usual drop off at the main door . All of them chiming "Gargi Aunty, Gargi Aunty " simultaneously from several directions was surely something I had never experienced before . Hats off to the daycare teachers who keep their sanity and patience all day long in that musical chaos .

My job was to help in bits and piece with everything  . At first I helped fill water balloons and get the stuff ready for outdoor party . Later I was mainly taking pictures and videos once kids started the activity .  I was also vigilant to ensure their safely while playing with water . I tried my best to capture the moments as these little people were busy enjoying soaking in the water, squirting with their water guns and bursting the bubbles . They were delighted to  simply throw the colorful water balloons on the ground and watch them splatter . In no time we were out of a big basket full of water balloons . Occasionally  I had to comfort a scared and crying little one . But within minutes everyone was enjoying themselves with no fear whatsoever . Just soaking literally in the moment . Water is a magnetic attraction to most kids . It is hard to beat for an activity especially with preschool kids .

I also enjoyed telling stories during breakfast and lunch time , helping some by feeding them the yummy food . Everyone had a perfect ending to the "Splash Party " with ice pops and homemade delicious cupcakes . By the time I was leaving all the little ones were tired but well fed, ready for their nap time . 

It was such a rewarding experience being at the daycare today .  All the hugs, kisses and thank you meant it was all worth it . It certainly affected me in a very positive way I must say . Heartfelt thank you to the daycare teachers who allowed me to be a part of this amazing experience . 

Letter to My Daughter on Her Third Birthday

Dear Keya 
You are older and wiser now ...3 years old today . Your personality shines through more and more everyday . Your excitement is contagious . You light up every room you enter .Your imagination is growing by leaps and bounds . You are a brave girl . And I am so proud of you already . I am enjoying watching you grow everyday . 

You are fearless now . Sometimes a little too much . You are throwing  stuff , breaking things, locking doors. You make me nervous at times and you know that too. 

There is so much you love doing . Or I must say there is not much you don't love doing (except sleeping and eating your meals ) . You are being more independent day by day . There are many things you do not need me for anymore like laying out your clothes before bath , wearing pajamas , putting on flip flops and much more . 

I love seeing you do things on your own .  Making new friends, asking everyone their names, waving good bye to everyone...but can you slow down a little ?

Your excitement over everyday and every tiny thing makes me learn so much from you . You react to things everyday as if it were your first time . No matter how hard my day was at work but when I see your excitement "Aai home ... Aai home "  it makes me smile . 

I am grateful to God for you.My perfect, cute, smiling Manudi.

Happy birthday my three year old 

Your Aai

P.S.
I am planning write a letter to my daughter each year on her birthday. It’s a great way to remember the little things that we often forget as our kids get older. Time just passes by way too quickly and their childhood is over before we know it. We have to cherish it while we can! For last year's post click here 

Egg-cellent Easter Egg Non candy Fillers

Easter is around the corner . Easter egg hunts are so fun . But all I remember from past years is eggs filled with candies . Few candy filled eggs are Ok . But problem is FEW treats turn into DOZENS or ALL . Why not avoid candy whenever possible ? This year I decided to do Easter egg hunt with non candy fillers . Why not add these small fun toys and treats instead of loading up on sugar ? Here is my list of some non candy fillers that are sure to be a huge hit with the kids .

1. Stickers

2. Tattoos

3. Self inked stamps

4. Erasers

5. Hair bows

6. Snap Clips

7. Rings

8. Magnetic letters

9.  Interlocking Rings (Toddler K loves these )
10. Small figurines

11.Crayons

12. Slinky toy

13. Snap on bracelets

14. Finger puppets

15. Mini Bubbles

I hope this post inspired you to fill up Easter eggs and baskets with non candy items . What are your favorite items ? Happy hunting !

Pinterest Projects - DIY Travel Lego Box

Toddler K loves to travel but hates car rides. Plane rides are not much fun either. She just wants to be at a destination in the wink of an eye . Our household fantasy version of " I dream of Jeannie "(wink wink and here you go Master  ) . So I constantly keep looking for ideas to engage her during our travel . When I came across the idea of travel Lego case I knew she would love it . LEGO +DIY = Fun .

Speaking of DIY what better place than pinterest for inspiration . I saw different versions of this travel case. finally I decided to start with the materials I had at hand . So chose the Frozen themed tin box which has buried under the mountain of toys . It really was frozen( read forgotten ) underneath the pile . With Amazon as my go to online store these days I found rest of  the materials for this project in a single click and delivered to my door step . The project was super quick and I was very happy with the end result . Toddler K was so excited when she saw the new version of her Frozen box and LEGO pieces together . When I saw the sparkle in her eyes I was beaming with pride on finally accomplishing a long pending project that was so worth it .


Materials needed -

1. LEGO Duplo Green Building Plate
2. Scotch Removable Mounting Squares
3. Few LEGO pieces, Scissors and Sanding Sponge


Here are the step by step instructions -

1. Cut the building plate to fit the lunch box lid. Size it such that there is some margin around the Lego plate once it fits on the lid ( Pic on  your right ) . If you cut the exact size of the lid from end to end then the box will not shut (Pic on your left ). Simple scissors that I had at hand did a fantastic job at cutting the building plate .








Note the edges of base plate are now trimmed



2. Now sand the edges and corners to make them smooth . This will protect those tiny hands playing LEGO from getting scratches due to the sharp unfinished edges .

3. Using the mounting squares secure the base plate onto the lid. I have cut the 1 inch pieces in half and used each one at every corner of the plate . If Toddler K at some point wants to use the base plate separately from the box then it would easily come off. Hence I used the removable squares . ( Never know what a toddler brain can come up with ! )

4. Finally add a handful of LEGO Duplo pieces into the box and you are ready to go (on a looooong car or plane ride ). At least that is what I wish for .


Tips -

1. You can use a plastic box instead of the metal tin . Plastic ones are much cheaper .

2 . If you wish to fit more LEGO Duplo pieces than just a handful use a larger sized box.

3. You can add felt paper or cloth at the base of the box to dampen some of the noise , especially if your little one like mine loves to shake the box constantly to make "some music "as she calls it  .

4. You can use regular building plate instead of the Duplo one . I have heard the Duplo pieces work equally well with either plate. I used the Duplo plate for my project .

5. You can secure LEGO pieces from falling out of the box by adding an extra building plate across the grooves in the box . I chose to add it later on to improve functionality .

Now I am thinking I should make few more such kits to give away as presents and share with Toddler K's  cousins . What are your thoughts ?

My Book Club Experience - Part 1

                        " Books don't go with you ,
                   they take you wherever you've never been . "
                                                                           - Anonymous

After I had my little one I hardly found any time for myself . Reading an adult book was never on my list then . I cannot however say that I never read a book back then . In fact I started reading out loud to my little one since she was few weeks old ( yes few weeks old ). Check out here . And now I have a voracious little reader in making . As baby K or toddler K now is growing up I want to expand my love for reading beyond Dr. Seuss and Brown Bear and Llama Llama . So when I came across a book club near me I jumped at the opportunity to join .

Honestly I was scared attending the meeting as a first timer. I hardly knew anyone and I was not sure what to expect . I thought we would be some strangers sitting together with some awkward silences and long pauses. I was completely wrong . It was a very lively and engaging book club experience . We had a wonderful discussion . Being around ladies who share the same love for reading is what was at the core of this book club . I felt right at home . The hostess was wonderful too . Hot masala chai, yummy appetizers and thought provoking discussion equals time well spent . I am already looking forward to the next meeting . Great conversations and fun times ahead . Stay tuned .

Happy New Year to a new ME

I am a Mom . Being a mom is a full time job . All you moms out there know that well . I enjoy every part of being a mom . But At times I feel that I have lost ME in the process . Being mom is rewarding . I would never trade any profession for it . Yet some days I find it necessary to focus some attention on just myself . I feel the need to devote some time towards taking care of myself .And here's why ... Because I am a human being too . Since the birth of my little one I have consciously devoted all my towards taking care of her . Gradually in this process I have neglected ME .

My friends were having a discussion about new year resolutions . I make a bunch of them every year . Yes without fail I have my list ready by new year's eve . At time my quarterly evaluations keep me on track . But most of the times none of the resolutions last till the end of the year . As a matter of fact I loose track of more than half of my resolutions by mid year . But some temporary rewards that I gain during the process keep me going . These rewards are the real reason that motivate me to come up with new resolutions every year .

I want 2018 to be different though . I want to make very few resolutions, just a couple may be . As much as I am tempted to make a long list I have already scaled down to less than a handful resolutions this year . No surprise that all of them are targeted towards ME... my health and hobbies . And hopefully these resolutions last till the end .


I believe that giving myself permission to do stuff for ME will actually transform me into a better person. Perhaps even a better mom . I am blessed to be a mom . But I do not want to loose sight of the person I want to be and can be . So let us toast to a year of some ME time . The holiday season is over but I want to sparkle . So let us all moms celebrate the coming year with a dash of glitter in our everyday lives . Happy new year to all you mommies and your families that you take care of endlessly . Let the celebrations begin ...

First Flakes -December 8 th - Then and Now

Boston has held a lot of firsts for me. A decade ago when I landed in Boston I had never seen actual snowfall . I was excited to see snow . After arriving in december on a cold, rather chilly day with no winter gear the freezing cold was terrifying . All my excitement about snow had melted away when the freezing cold sent chills down my whole body . I was barely able to get into a car from the airport . It was dark outside even though it was early evening . I was tired from the long plane ride . The sleet and black ice added to my disappointment .


Few hours into Boston and I had already given up thinking about the snowfall . The next day when I woke up from my jet lagged sleep schedule and looked outside my window I held my breath .There it was . A beautiful white blanket of snow all over .  Beautiful flurries of snow piling up on ground gradually . It was magical and mesmerizing . My first ever snowfall . I forgot all my feelings from a day earlier . With a cup of hot masala chai and warm blanket I sat there transfixed watching the snow.


And exactly on the same day a decade later I was again enjoying snowfall . Now in a totally different city watching the beautiful snowfall with my family . I was very far from the northeast ,now in the south in Atlanta . But a cup of hot masala chai had not left my company . Nothing is quite as serene as watching your backyard being covered in a white sheet of fresh snow. There is something just beautiful about the snowfall . It is magical to find yourself in the same place but that which looks totally different now. This is a thing of wonder and may be enchantment perhaps . Nature's beauty at its best !




LET IT SNOW
LET IT SNOW