ME- A VERY PROUD MOMMY

Devanshi started her school three months back and today got her very first Report Card!All i can say is -I am a very Happy ,Blessed and a Proud Mom.

My little one has given us all that a Parent can ever ask for!We are truly blessed!

A tiny little angelthat always is in flightas soon as you came into my lifeyou brought me so much light.

Your beauty is so stunningyour smile makes me melt

I'm so proud to be your mommy

It's the best I've ever felt.Oh perfect little princesswith you I'm so in loveevery night before I dream

I thank the lord above.

How did I get so luckyto have as sweet of a gift as you

If ever you should need methere's nothing I wouldn't do.

Time flies....real fast!

3rd Diwali 2007

2nd Diwali 2006

1st Diwali 2005

Miss being Home for Diwali

I am missing all the great food,Mithai from Haldirams,Playing 3 Patti with family and all the noise and pollution in Guragon.

All i can do is imagine what must be on back at home!

Friends visiting to greet Diwali,light deciration at home and perpetually one bulb or the other fusing out making my brother go crazy! mom cooking yummy kachoris and Ona directing her to make Singals(a kumaoni delicacy).

I really miss being at home this time of the year...more than ever.

But will do all i can to make this Diwali and every Diwali we spend away from family a special one .....limited yummy food as i am not a great cook but promise there will be something special, no fesh Haldiram mithai but packed/Tined one isnt that bad...Will definately play 3 patti...no crackers but promise lots of diyas,candles and tons of noise Pollution here in 2002 South Hamptom.

Pin drop Silence!

This one liner is not totally unfamiliar to me-but somehow i had lost a sense of this for the past three years since Devanshi has been in our lives!

Today is the first day of her school-and she is away in school .This pin drop silence at home is somehow making me uncomfortable or should i say is driving me crazy!

I have looked at the watch a million times in the past 2 hours and am sure will look a trillion times more-waiting for the clock to strike 12:15 so that i can be on my way to pick her back !

So all you mothers out there who yearn for a pin drop silence ,trust me this silence is chilling and cold.

Oh!how i wish her to be back home soon and yell and scream because her screaches are so much warmer and joyous!which fill my hear and home with happiness.

There she goes!

She will be gone from next thursday for six hours to school for the very first time!leaving behind a very anxious and nervous mom.

Yeah!my little one is off to school!time has flown and this time very -very fast.I have a lot of mixed emotions and butterflies in my stomach.

• Why cant she stay at home for another year?Isnt she too young?
• Will she be fine when she is on her own?
• How will she handle aggressive boys around her who push and pull her?
• What if she doesnt eat the snacks and lunch i pack for her?
• What if she feels like dozing on a cold winter day in school?
• Will she be fine?
• Will she be happy?
• Will she like her school?
• Will she make new friends?

I guess these emotions arent exclusive...every parent on this earth has felt the same way when their child takes off for school for the very first time!

Swatantrata Diwas in Newport

Today i am excited........and so is every Indian i know living in NY.Today we all are going to celebrate 60 years of Indian independence here in Newport.There will be Indian Dance Performance ,a Parade and lots of Indian food!

We all intend to show up in full strength...with lots of zest and great pride!

We might be away from our homeland but our heart and soul is still there!

My Little one starts School

My little one is going to start Pre-Kindergarden 3 from next month and currently i am busy shopping for her school supplies.

I am overwhelmed....anxious and a little dazed as to how time can fly super fast ???

Its back to buying pencil boxes,lunch boxes,crayons and stensils!!!Its brought back a lot of exciting memories from school days-Flora pencils,HP Pencils,scented erasers,fruit shaped sharpners,clolourful backpacks and Disney lunch boxes.

These little goodies brought so much happiness and excitement back then....i see the same excitement and thrill in my little ones eyes!

Its the best thing in the world-to relive best days of your life- Childhood back again and i am so greatful for that.

What if.....?

What if..................??is the question, to which most of the Indians living in US wake up every morning and sleep every night in their minds!

What if.......our kids dont turn out to be intelligent like Indian kids?

What if .....our kids are confused as to what to be-Traditional Indians like parents or Americans like their f riends!

What if......our kids wish to celebrate thanksgiving over Diwali?

What if......our kids never ever wish to leave US...for a developing and prosperous India?

What if .....our kids decide to be on their own at 16 and leave home?

What if ......our kids just want burgers and sodas instead of dal-chawal?

Being a parent of a three year old ,i myself battle with these- what ifs every day and i really dont have any answers!

Jan 16th 2006-A sweet and Sour day

On this very cold and rainy day Rajiv and myself sat quietly in the waiting room of the Presipatarian Childrens Hospital in Charlotte.Devanshi was undergoing a surgery to remove a dermoid cyst on her eyebrow which she had since birth but was noticed very recently.

Dr. Jean Francos a plastic surgeon advised it was best to get rid of the cyst while she was young (then she was 16 months old) and so here we were...finally facing the day we had been dreading for the past two months!

Finally the pager rang and we were told the surgey was over and shortly the Dr would be there to tell us all!It was the longest wait of our lives....Finally the Doctor appeared ...and said-It went very well...she is doing good...go and be with her in the recovery room.

We walked towards the recovery room taking the biggest and fastest steps possible!

There she was..crying in pain ..i can truly say the worst suffering for a parent is to see your child suffer!We did all we could to comfort her and started the countdown to take her home.In the next three hours she was stable and we got her back home with us.

Over the next three weeks she recovered completely ..no scars on her face...but i guess the memories of that sweet and sour day still haunt me sometimes and i hope no parent has to see his/her child suffer...ever!

Oh God!

Yes !i am going to miss watching the Cricket World Cup this year.
Have been running pillar to post trying to get Cricket Doordarshan connected here at home but no success till date.
I guess will have to log on to some site to get a glimpse of the men in blue:))

Past two years i have shouting from a roof top-God this place feels like home!-school friends,hindi movies,yummy Indian food...all the goodness of India is right here!

Not anymore-Cricket fever which i am sure has already gripped India is missing big time!
God i miss so much being in India:(

Name- Devanshi Shah (Chunchun)
Age- 27 Months
Fav food- Pizza,Muffin,Berries and "Thatwani Bhaat"
Fav Passtime- Jump around
Fav song - Pal -Pal from Munna Bhai and Mother Goose rhymes
Fav Actor- Sharukh Uncle
Fav Soap- Full House
Fav Cartoon Dora and Diego
I love Raafif my Papa

One word to describes me-Princess!

Simple joys of Life

I guess its Wisdom and Hubby who have made me realise-"life is about finding joys in little things.There is nothing like hitting a jack-pot"

So this second day of 2007 i am sitting down to discover joys of my life-

-Having adrak chai is a glass and dipping Parle-G- simply delicious!
-E-mail from an old pal saying-I am here in New-York.Lets catch up.
-News about India-a glimpse of Mr. Manmohan Singh on CNN.
-A Shahrukh movie on a lazy saturday afternoon-out of this world.
-Prawns cooked by my hubby-he is the best chef in the world!
-A piece of paper scribbled by Devanshi-"Mamma a painitng for you"-god my heart melts!and my eyes water
-A phone call to Bageshwar and Gurgaon-all the latest news and views make me feel on cloud nine.
-Finding a perfect black dress on a 70% sale rack-god i hit a jackpot!
-Friday evenings knowing Rajiv will be home for the next 2 days-hurray.

God! my life seems to be blessed .All i can say is -Thank you god ! and can only pray -keep the little joys pouring into my life!