Camera Angles

We have a camera in our drive way. In the mornings when Dulce and i leave for our walk, it takes a photo of us tumbling out the garage only half awake or less. After we head on out, Dulce walks me to the gazebo and then we break into a run - rather, I run while dulce brisk-walks next to me. When we get back, i do some stretches and cool down exercises. Dulce does his cool down exercises by spreading out on the drive way. While I am doing these stretches our faithful camera takes another aerial picture of me from behind, focusing on god knows what. It's the same pose caught on camera, every single day. 

Take a look. 

Today I was showing this to Raj asking why the camera takes such a picture of me every single day, and Bobby just couldn't stop laughing!

If there are any intruders around our house, you know what angle of photos we are getting of them. 

First Playdate

Last week Bobby's school had a monster mash. A pre-halloween halloween party. Bobby and I wouldn't miss it! We were going to go as cops. Last halloween we were taking care of the community by being the serious law enforcement officers that only he and I can pull off! This year, he said he'll be a police officer again. After school pickup, we got in character and headed out. 

The monster mash was outside in the school parking lot. I met Bobby's teacher and some of my friends. I said hello to teachers who had taught little miss Haana and we had loved them. When hunger struck, we each got ourselves a pizza slice. When we sat around listening to music, munching on pizza, a ninja warrior came by, a little too close if you ask me. He tried to touch Bobby with his ninja sword, but Bobby with his quick law enforcement reflexes ducked just in time. Giggling ensued. Along with a game of tag. Turns out the ninja was Yug from class. They met up with Pranit, and a collective game began on the spot. Bobby ran away only to came back to drop off parts of his costume that were just a bit too much now. Soon I was the only cop and feeling a bit out numbered by the wild gang! Good thing right about now Raj ambled by too!

Soon Bobby came to tell me that he needs to have a play date at Yug's the next day. I walked over to the parents and made new friends. They were at home the next day and would love the kids to hang out and play at their home. And so it was settled. I was to drop Bobby after 4pm on Saturday. 

The next day, due to a myriad of reasons I don't quite remember, we were late getting out for Bobby's play date - something he scolded me about the entire way over. When we got to their house and rang the doorbell, Bobby seemed a bit surprised that I wasn't gonna stay the whole time. I got nervous if he was nervous. But then the door opened and Bobby met Yug and even more fun - he met all of Yug's legos and toys at his house. And instantly he didn't need me anymore. I said my byes and headed out. As the door closed i realized - this was Bobby's very first play date - where i drop him and leave!! So far its always been that his neighborhood buddies play in each other's house but can head on home whenever needed (they never do head home of their own accord, obviously. They have to be beckoned, physically retrieved, or told to go home!!). But this was the very first time I was dropping him and leaving. Wow! What a big boy moment for us all!! 

Part of me wanted to head back and find an excuse to just hangaround at their house. But Aby was in the car. And our plan was to drop Bobby and then for Aby and i to head to a nearby cafe and work from there. We found a really good cafe less than 5 minutes from their place. And so i left Bobby. 

When i picked him up he was happy. And he wanted to head home. And he was very hungry. I was too! And so we all raced back home - happy but done! 

Hoco

With little miss Haana being in high school this year, there was suddenly all this talk about hoco. Since I've not been to high school here, I expect to learn on the job (also known as winging it). There was this pep rally at school that all the orchestra kids were required to attend. Little miss Haana had fun with her orchestra girl friends. The hoco football game was not on her radar. And then there was this hoco dance I started hearing about. 

One day at school pickup when the topic of hoco dance came up, little miss Haana told me with finality, "I'm not going". "Not going! why?", just out of curiosity i pressed. "Just don't wanna". "Ok, but just so i know, why?". I tried to sound like it was purely a scientific enquiry and no judgement on my part. "I just don't wanna mumma. And i don't wanna talk about it". And that was it, the door on this conversation was shut. Later i was told nonchalantly that Luca asked her to go to the dance (somewhat together but maybe not? But maybe yes? So confused!) but she said no cause she doesn't wanna go with him (awesome!). Luca is her friend from middle school. He lives close to our house, and was seen at our around our house suspiciously a whole lot around the summer. But he was then told 'not interested'.

Later at a get together with other moms (these are moms of her middle school gang) i was told what a big deal hoco dance is supposed to be. Some of the girls were going to hocos in multiple schools if they had a friend in another school they were going with. Moms were sharing their hoco dress experiences. Keerti told me of the relief she felt, that the dress that was picked was neither too short nor too low. Shilpa told me she ordered multiple dresses to cover her bases, the dresses not selected to be returned (by her) later. Other moms shared the hoco dress pictures. 

Little miss Haana's school hoco came and went. She didn't go. I said to her something along the lines of - there's no need for peer pressure to do or not do anything. She can be her own person. She doesn't have to do something just because everyone else is doing it. I have no idea how it landed, cause remember she said -'I don't wanna talk about it'. 

A week or two later little miss Haana's birthday was coming up. She said she wants to have her middle school girl gang over. And that they all dress up together at our home and go out for a fancy dinner together in their hoco dresses! And so it was! 

Little miss Haana and I went to the mall for dress shopping. We tried on 10 or 12 dresses, landed on 1. Shopped accessories. And surprisingly we did not - take too long, or have a fight or break the bank! And I call that a huge win!

On Saturday, 8 or 10 of little miss Haana's middle school girlfriends came over. These girls have known each other for years, some of them have been together since kinder. There was hugging, and screaming and gifts. Then all afternoon these girls were dressing up upstairs. Multiple hot irons were tripping up our electric sockets. And then they were taking pictures in the yard! Finally we all went to an Italian place for dinner. We took pictures on the outside patio at the restaurant. After dinner and dessert the girls took more pictures at the boardwalk on the lake and the fountain across the street from the restaurant. And then, when they'd had enough, and we all headed back home! 

It was a great day and a good party, complete with fancy dresses, good friends and delicious food!

Birthday Treasure Hunt

This month was my little girl Haana's birthday. That much was acceptable, but she insists to get older! Why? So overrated growing up is!

I was told in no uncertain terms that a traits hunt is mandatory. 

So here it is, the treasure hunt. Tell me if you figure it out. 

Ready?

Treasure Hunt 1 - Clue 1

That one might have been misleading. So here is the 2nd clue for treasure hunt 1.

Treasure Hunt 1 - Clue 2

Treasure Hunt 2 - Clue 1

Oops that may have also been misleading. So you might need another clue. 

Treasure Hunt 3 - Clue 1

Did you get it? Here's the next one. 

Treasure Hunt 3 - Clue 2

On to the last treasure hunt now.

Treasure Hunt 4 - Clue 1

That one was cool! And now the very last clue !

Treasure Hunt 4 - Clue 2

Hurray!

Happy birthday!

Beautiful Bookmark

Guess what just happened right now? Well, let's start from the beginning. 

A few years back a friend from work, from China, sent me a beautiful metal bookmark. I loved it very much! And I was really fond of my friend too. Little miss Haana liked the delicate engravings on the metal bookmark and asked if she could use it. I said yes.

Fast forward to this week, little Bobby boy found the bookmark. He thought it was beautiful too and wanted to keep it for himself, to mark his books of which he has several. Obviously with Bobby's new found interest, little miss Haana's interest in the bookmark is also rekindled. Now, she wants it too. Bobby came to me to resolve this crisis. "I'll talk to Gugu!", I told him. And I told Gugu we need to share. She had the bookmark for all this time, let bobby get a turn. Hurray, she reconsidered. I also think she was just too tired to fight it. And so it was decided. Bobby got the bookmark! During bath-time Bobby asked me how long a turn should they have? 1 day? "Should I return it to Gugu tomorrow, then?", he consulted with me. I said maybe a 2-day turn? 1 week? But Bobby decided 1 day is good. 

Today at bed time Bobby got the book he's been reading. Magic school bus. He kept the book on the bed and started looking for something at the bed side table. Some rattling and then he excavated a paper bookmark. Then he said, "Wait a minute Mumma, I need to give this bookmark to Gugu. It's her turn now.". I was like, awww! But he was already on his way upstairs. He went to Gugu's room said "Hey Gugu, here's the bookmark you can have your turn". And guess what she said? "It's OK Bobby. You can keep it!". Awww! So sweet these babies are sometimes, on some rare occasions! Bobby came back and happily replaced the paper bookmark with the beautiful metallic bookmark in his magic school bus book!

School Drop Off

I don't usually do the morning school drop offs. Today I was to drop little miss Haana to her school. When little miss Haana was ready, we loaded up in the car and got going! I was going along the route i usually take to pick her up, and both of us were zoning out or listening to the music or both. Suddenly little miss Haana yelped me, "Mumma! Why didn't you turn there? Papa turns there". I am vaguely aware of this side route Raj takes, but it didn't register with me as part of actual directions vs "scenic routes" one takes to teach Google maps a thing or two about your neighborhood. Also i can't be expected to take a route unless I'm told at least twice about it specifically. I see someone forgot about communicating effectively. "That's not even a route, it's all the same!", I pacified her. "No Mumma, now we will be late! Papa turns that way!". If you think I allow this tough crowd to cramp my style, you'll be wrong! "Late? We're not late, we have plenty of time. And this is the faster route, you'll see!", I educate the poor child. She's not convinced. We both eye the watch on dashboard. 8:37. She has to reach school at 845, late at 850. No problem. 

As we continue driving along, i see the traffic light up ahead. It has just turned yellow. And it's still some ways off. I see it from a distance but decide now is not the time to stop. I  hold steady. In my mind we crossed the light on yellow and it turned red just as we were passing. No words or looks were exchanged in the car. But another traffic light is approaching up ahead. As if catching it from the previous one, it just turned yellow too. I hesitated. Not a good idea to speed on. My driving record is not exactly in sterling reputation. So this time I press the breaks and we stop. "You could've easily passed it! It was totally yellow even after we stopped", said little miss Haana. She's not wrong. We start on green again. But now she clearly feels I need help. "Ok you have to turn left from the church", she pipes. "After the church". " Yes after the church". So i did as I'm told, the left turn is red, so we stop. I tell her laughingly, "I usually I don't go left from here. This left turn takes a long time to turn green, so I go straight, then take a U and come back and laugh at all these cars still standing here on red". "What?! Then why didn't you do that?", she asks bewildered. "Oh, I am just doing as I'm told now", we look at each other and laugh for completely different reasons. Luckily light turned green and we are off again. 

We were at the last stretch now. 8:41. She told me which left to take to turn into the school. We are now in school zone, so inching at 20mph or lower. 

"This is the student parking lot now, so feel free to use your license to trample through to the front door", she tells me. 

"I don't think that's what my license is for".

Some kids look like they just turned around in their bed and landed in front of our car. I successfully weave my way through them. 

"Dont turn right from here, there's a turtle there", she says referring to the car that's pulling up driven by an decidedly overly cautious driver. 

I pull ahead. And just then, in the middle of a parking lot that has not a single blade of grass in vicinity, suddenly a lawn mower guy races towards us in his lawn mower. Me and Gugu together yelp before turning a sharp right to weave out of his path. More bowling pins of ruffled haired sleep walkers amble in front of our car as we wait for them to perhaps decide to tumble to the side walk. We are now moving across another parking lot full of kids sitting on what looks like sleeping bags. Who are these homeless people? "Band practice in the morning". 

8:43. We are right there. Gugu and I are still talking about the lawn mower on his helicopter making his sharp clipper turn right into our car. Where did he come from and where did he go!! We giggled and little miss Haana tells me- "I'm not doing this again". 

"Right back at you sister!". And we giggle some more!! 

No tardy for her, and no lawn mowers following me, so we're all good! 

How To Lose A Negotiation

I thought Bobby and I had an agreement. 

Let me back up. Our freezer at home has limited space. One day returning from school pickup, Bobby n i stopped at Walmart to get some ice cream for home. It was summer afterall. I thought, mistakenly, that ice-cream is something we both can agree on. Soon after walking into the store Bobby found a box of "Bomb-pop". Box of 12 popsicles that were  3 flavor each - cherry, lemon and blueberry. I don't even think popsicle is the same food group as ice cream. We argued in the store and i tried to distract him with many other options of actual ice creams. But his mind was made up. The only problem was, our freezer only has space for 1 box. So we returned back home with a box of bomb pop in stead of a real ice cream. 

Even since then, I've been waiting for him to finish his popsicles so I can get something i actually like. Somewhere in there, I got desperate though. Got a small box of Klondike ice cream sandwich box of 6. I figured we will be able to finish these quickly. And it did. 

Today returning home Bobby asked me if he can have his popsicle is there's a last one remaining. I openly relished at the possibility that the popsicle box might finally finish, and its finally time for my turn at getting a box of ice cream for home. 

First, Bobby was quite encouraging. He told me i should get the box of blue bell we saw. We had seen a 10 pack of individual servings of blue bell ice cream, half vanilla and half dutch chocolate. I reminded him since it's my turn i can and will get what i want. I was thinking of getting ice cream sandwiches, i was missing those. That's when Bobby reminded me that I already did get that 6 pack ice cream box, so this is in fact his turn to get another box of whatever bad choice he's gonna come up with. We debated back and forth on who's turn it was. Somewhere in there Bobby told me he's decided not to finish that last popsicle after all, so the box in the freezer will remain. No one needs to get another ice cream!

At this time, somehow, I was pleading with Bobby to have his popsicle, and he was giggling away saying no! When did this negotiation get so topsy turvy!! This is classic negotiation 101 - how to lose a negotiation 101, that is!!