Tanush’s family

 Art by Tanush, April 27, 2022

What is this mystery stain?

 A week or so ago, Tanush wore his very favorite and soft “night-time” chochama (pajama). There was a stain. He is unsure if it’s toothpaste or bird-poo or yogurt or his snot. It could be any of these very easily he says. I personally think bird-poo is unlikely but everything else is a really possibility. We still don’t know what that stain is.

First trips

 Our library is about 2 blocks away and for the first time ever, megha went to library all on her own! She took her bicycle, her library card, a radio for us to keep in touch (yes, a radio). 

I used to take her in a stroller until she turned 3 on almost every weekend for story time. Again, where did the time go my darling megha?

The evening’s

 This is just so you both know, we run outside at nights/ evenings as soon as we see something beautiful. I hope you continue to enjoy these very beautiful moments, even after growing up. These both were take 1-6 weeks ago.

The First’s of Megha

 Daddy is trying to finish the basement, which meant, there are a lot of storage boxes to go through. This evening, I poured hours over your storage box, Megha. Mommomma (my mom) was here for the delivery and during those days, daddy used to take extra shift to make extra money. This meant, mom and I used to spend a lot of time putting away things which we felt were very important. Let me tell you this, I am glad we did because, 10 full years later, I am looking at these again and it brought back so many memories. 

There is a whole box of stuff of so many other things I saved, but here are some of my favorites: 

Onesie: The onesie you wore at the hospital. This was supposed to be a premie size but I recall it being so big on you then. You almost drowned :) I also saved a hat and tiny socks. Oh these pink socks! You used to figure out a way to kick them off ALL the time and then your feet would be freezing. I gave up and switched to onesies exclusively at nights.

You teeth: the pink “treasure box” contains the teeth you were born with, yes, you were born with teeth (Dr.Vino, your dentist extracted the “milk deposits” when you were 10 days old as they were loose and were a chocking hazard. I bawled my eyes out :)). He is still our pediatric dentist by the way. He still, “remembers the girl who was 10 days old, his youngest ever child who came to his clinic”.

The Treasure box also contains one of you first nails we cut. 

I saved a physical copy of calendar from 2011, just because. 

I saved Babies R Us book registry; we didn’t send the link to very many people. 

Toiletries: we have a clean newborn diaper from the first pack of diapers we bought. I also saved your bathing soap, shampoo, moisturizer. I also saved the used diaper genie dispenser (I cleaned it first, don’t worry), penaten (bum cream to prevent rashes and a burp cloth.

I saved your first colic drops, both kinds. Woodwards was what I was brought up using when I myself was a baby. 

And lastly, we have your hospital tags. 

I don’t understand where the time went. When I touched these again after several years, it felt like it was only yesterday that you were so very small. Where does all the time go? Really. 

Let’s Go Bluejays!

 For several years now, we’ve been going to the Jays game every July 1st. 

Tanush, may you always find joy in simple things in life. The expression you have over a train ride makes my heart smile :)

Megha loves face painting! We did all the game-mandatory-things. Took the train, ate hotdogs, got the balloon animals (after standing in the line for more than an hour), got the face painting and tattoos done and we ate. 

Megha, there was ESPN crew filming for next years Jays commercial. They asked my permission if they could get a clip of you; fingers crossed, you maybe in next years commercial:)

Just so you know, we ate so much! Started off with hotdogs, then chicken nuggets and wedges, popcorn, ice cream, twizzlers, peanuts, gummies and chips. 

When we got home, it was late and we watched fireworks at McDuffe  park. 

Learning languages

 I have always loved learning new languages (well, I try) and I am so proud of you Megha, your French is getting so much better :)

The day megha won Hotwheels

 You both always loved tickets and little games, why not. When we went to one such event and entered for the race, I was hoping one of you would win…and Megha did! And then went to a local restaurant to enjoy the free milkshake, pie and ice cream. What a fun afternoon. 

June 10th 2022

 A date to be remembered! These are no ordinary KD, this day was the very first time Tanush made his own lunch. All on his own, ALL of it, including adding right amount of water, setting the microwave, taking out the hot bowl carefully, adding the cheese :)

Way to go Tanush. I will make sure you know how to cook for yourself and your loved ones :)

Moisturizer

 I don’t recall writing this down in the blog but at times, when we have time, I make moisturizer at home using shea butter, jojoba oil, essential oils and beeswax. 

Megha asked if we could make moisturizer at home over the weekend and perhaps glam it up a little bit by adding food coloring (as mine are plain white/ cream colored). 

Cracked me up! Megha darling I should have let you do it…you know for kicks and giggles and see your face after you apply the food-colored-moisturizer :)

You are lucky I love you to the moon and back, I reminded you the tint of food coloring :)

Your choice of words

 Tanush says, “holiday sauce” for, “Hollandaise sauce” :) He loves Eggs Benedict. 

Megha accidentally said, “antibiotics” for “antibodies which gave us all chuckles :)

Midnight

 Yes, that’s the name Megha chose for her very first Betta Fish :); you wanted an aquarium and daddy got you one. Niw, don’t ask all the arguments you both had, him for asking you to do research and you not doing it fully :)

First words, 6 years ago

 Tanush, your first words were “mom mom mom mom mom” exactly 6 years ago today :)

Saturday Breakfast

 A longtime ago, long before I was even married, I read this book where there was a child who didn’t have enough to eat. Some rare evening’s when he returns home from school, he would smell the roasting potatoes his mom was making for dinner and he thinks to himself, this has to be the best and most comforting aroma in the whole wide world. 

Years later, he became a World Renowned chef (Gordon Ramsey) and in his memoir, he wrote that the smell of his moms roasted potatoes from back on that day still remains his most comforting smell (for the mind and belly) in the whole wide world. 

Something about that particular incident stuck with me. Years later, I had you both and subconsciously, I still wake up early to have the breakfast ready or cooking. Every single day. While you may both think it’s no big deal, but to me, giving you that sense of comfort (whether you realize this or not) is a big deal. I myself always had this privilege when growing up. 

Today, March 11th 2022, we are having harsh brown, bacon and waffles for breakfast.

Chocolate drizzle popcorn

 Megha, you talked me into it. First you said, “mom, one of these days can you please make chocolate drizzle popcorn?”

I said, sure. Tomorrow? 

You said…awm (you know the disappointed sigh).

And then I got up and made you some :)

Just now. Love you megha. 

100th day of school

 Tanush told me today that it’s 100th day of school since he started grade 1 (I did not cross check). He sweetly dressed and asked if he looks like he is 100 years old….told him, sure, 85, based on the mismatched shoes he is wearing and the missing teeth :)

Cupcakes using 2D Wilton tip

This is more so, "mommy brag post" :). As you already know, I love cooking, especially when I spend the Sunday afternoon's on it. While I have decorated cupcakes for more than a decade now, I havent officially started taking lessons on decorating them. 2 weekends ago, that changed. 

Below are store bought cupcakes. Butter cream frosting was made 24 hours before and left it on the counter. 

Buttercream: 1 lb, softened, 4 cups icing sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract. Using a whisk attachment, whip up the butter cream and vanilla until light and fluffy (about 5 mins). scrape up the sides, whip for another 30 seconds. add 1 cup icing sugar at a time, continue whipping until incorporated (about a min). Keep in an air tight container on the counter. This will be enough for 12 cupcakes.

I used 2D Wilton flower tip for all the decorations. 

Hydrangeas are created using about 3 tbsp of frosting mixed with purple gel color. In a piping bag, add the purple frosting around the bag, leaving a follow space inside, for the white. fill in the white forsting in middle. this gives out the double shade. 

Yellow roses are made the same way, using yellow frosting on outside, white on the inside. Start the piping of the rose from the middle of the cupcake, overlapping the circles as you go along. 

White cupcakes are made with marshmallows. Cut the mini marshmallow diagonally; Lightly add the frosting on the base. Work your way from the outsides, moving towards the center. 

Isnt momma the best :)

Rabba

 One of our favorite places to go for a walk on a boring old day is to Rabba; a small convenience store chain. Its about 20-25 mins walk away. During summers, we take the long way but during winters, we take straight-forward way. You generally buy ice cream in summers, sit in the park and in winters, we admire the beautifully decorated Christmas House, as its lovingly called by people in Milton, sit by the park bench each donuts/cakes that we buy (at Rabba). 

Snow Storm

 2022 began with teeth shattering cold. However, on Jan 16th and 17th, there was a blizzard and you both had snow days from school for those 2 days. What fun it was! There was playing in the snow, making igloo's and mommy's homemade hot cocoa. There is sooooo much snow. poor daddy did most of the cleaning.

Your covid shots

 Its been about 3 months since the vaccinations got approved for children over 5 years. While there was a mad-rush of a lot of parents trying to get slots, we kind of took a step back, wait for 3 months to see any drastic side effects in children post vaccination. 

On Jan 21st, we got both of you vaccinated. Tanush cried a little.

Below is Megha’s; appears like we didn’t take the picture while the bandaid is still on her but wanted to make sure we capture the day anyway :)

Huggy tha-tha

 Tanush, by the time you are old enough to actually start reading this, its likely that you will start getting upset why there aren't as many entries under your name. Obviously you are not any less loved...just that, the amount of time/effort it takes to raise 2 children vs one increases and we do tend to drop the ball, which is what happened in this case too. 

You are a hugger. a BIG one. you love giving and receiving hugs. its always, "huggy tha tha" :)

Not everything is as you see

 I think Megha, its imperative you that there are a lot of unsaid things in this journey that I am documenting. There are days where there are a lot of tears, especially when daddy yells (usually about Math, not cleaning you room). You would cry, say things like Tanush gets away easy :)

You have no idea the number of times daddy and I fought because one of us would get you upset and then one of us would get upset with each other :)

Rest assured, we are also learning as we go along, we are also growing up as parents. Unfortunately, you being the first born, you end up getting the short end of it, sometimes. I hope you remember everything else we do to show you how much we love you, though, nothing could possibly be shown in action. 

Christmas 2021

 What a year it was, so many up's, a few low's. 

Christmas 2021, though in gifts, was great, the mood (for mommy and daddy) was below par. Lot of reasons, maybe one day when you guys grow up we will talk. 

Meanwhile, here is a picture of you two in front of tree, ready to dig in to the gifts. 

Carnatic Music

 Oct 14th 2021: 

Megha, I cannot repeat this enough, your voice is so beautiful. We started your Carnatic music lessons back in May 2021 and since then, every Wednesday, you have lessons in the evening. Below is a picture of the Official Initiation Day. Generally, this is done in a much elaborate way, but, give we are in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic, we have to make do with a virtual one. 

The green necklace and the earrings you are wearing here are my mom's (your momomma). I hope you like it as much as we both did. 

Year 2020 and 2021

 When you both grow up, Megha and Tanush, I hope that Covid-19 ends up being a distant memory. AS of now, we are in the midst of it and let me just say, its not going well. Somethings yes, many things no. 

I hope this recap of the last 2 years gives you an indication of how our world has been. 

2020:
Jan: Australian bushfires blazed in the country, burning up 47 million acres of land, killing thousands of animal, displacing thousands of people. The smoke was so powerful, countries across seas got affected by it. 

Also UK withdrew from European Union (read: Brexit).

Feb: Impeachment of President Donald Trump. You both should read up on him. Makes for an interesting read. Joe Biden is elected President of United States after the 2020 Presidential Elections. 

This also marked the appointment of the very first VP of US Kamla Harris. (soar high Megha. soar high. Sky is the limit; learn from the great example from great women all over the world. 

March: Several countries announce their lockdowns due to Covid-19. 

May: Murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. While 100's of black people still face extreme racism all over the world, every day, this particular case has moved me so much because 1) you get to see videos of a grown man crying, "I cant breathe" while a police office kept his knee on his neck for a full 8 minutes, killing him on scene and 2) it sparked so many anit-racism movements (Black Lives Matter) around the world. 

Not to forget NASA lands the very first rover ever on planet Mars!

I am sure there are lots more. Not least though, 2020 F1 World Championship goes to....drumroll, Lewis Hamilton :)

2021:

One of the most shocking (or is it?) news of 2021 for me was withdrawal of US army from Afghanistan. That instantly prompted to Taliban to come to power. I urge you both to read; its bad news. 

Highlights of the year was the Covid 19 vaccine. As millions of people around the world get the vaccine, the fatality rate starts coming down. 

Sept 30th marks the very first Truth and Reconciliation day (an observation Day, not to be confused as a holiday) as 100's of unmarked graves of children are found in Catholic Church/ Residential Schools where indigenous children were forcefully separated from parents back in mid-90's that continued until late 90's.

SpaceX (Elon Musk) and Jeff Bezos launch first ever flight into outer space/ earth's orbit by civilian space tourist. I hope you both get to see Earth from outer space :)

2021 Championship of F1 by Max Verstappen (much to daddy's delight :) ). Redbull hadnt had a great season in over 7 years and looking at Max take the championship (of you should see the Race in Qatar/Saudi in 2021...very controversial), it was a bitter sweet moment for me. 

On a personal level, Deluxe Desserts was born. 

It was Megha's vision which we tried to bring to life. We sold so many of the desserts. Our popular one's are Lemon Ricotta cake, Star Bread and pretzels.... oh the soft pretzles, i have soties to tell you. 

Dad had to be put on furlough. I started working from home (since march 2020). I also accepted a new position within the bank, making me an Associate Director (from manager). 

Dad and I both agree that between 2020 and 2021, we spent more time together and got to know more about each other than the preceding 12 years we've been married.