What can I expect in 2014!!

into the second month of the New Year.....I haven't been able to get myself to write.
Maye it's time to make my life a little more entertaining...
It's time to make some resolutions....give myself some goals......something fun...something exciting....for myself!
Ok...so here's my list

1) The road beckons......I will learn to Drive before February ends.

2) Enroll bunnie into Wonder Land play school....... (Tansi so wants to go to koooool)

3) I think I should put those strong vocal chords to some use....and make use of that guitar I brought myself

4) Take the kids to Kidzania.....and write about it










5) Lose 6 kilos and maybe a few inches as well :-D hahahahaa

6) Splish Splash Splosh------Aisha has to take up swimming lessons!!! And maybe I can join her :-)

7) Learn a new language.....maybe French or Spanish or then maybe become fluent in Tulu....hmmm now..that's interesting

8) A family Holiday..........international if possible....America!!!

hmmmm....let me think............
9 ) I have got to stop playing Farmville 






10) I've got to see the Taj Mahal this year.

is there anything else..????/
nahhhh All for now......good luck to me!

love hugs and kisses :*

Bunnie starts her baby banter

The first sound Bunnie made was a very clear Na-Na
The first time she called out to me......"Mammmmaa" ...it turned out to be my Diwali Gift :-)
Baa-baa's and boo-boo's......baaaa (ball)......Ammmm (Amma)......and many many more additions to her baby chit-chat followed.

At 14 months and 28 days Tanya...my bunnie, has quite a cute vocabulary :-)

Ashhaaa - That's how she calls her Didi Aisha :-)
Appaal - Apple
Auapish - Office (That's where almost anyone & anything who's not in her sight is at)
Amma - Amma (Grandmother)
Attha - Ajja (Grandfather)
Aapathi - Chapati
Appaan - Open
Ba-na-naa -  Banana
Baaal - Ball
Baai - Bye (which means she wants to go out)
boo-boo - that's how she refers to a Dog
buaa - that's someone she should be scared of...however, the buaa is beckoned by Tanya herself
chockate - Chocolate (the fridge is a chocolate factory as per bunnie)
Da-daa - Dadda (Her Daddy)
deu-deu - which is a must have in the morning - DuDu (Milk)
Didi - well almost sound like deu deu - but that's how she refers to her sister
Down - well most kids should get this right....where does Tanya want to go....pat comes the reply,"down"
Ello - that's the way we say Hello.....a rare occurrence....but it happens
Mammaanaa - Mummum (which is food)
Mamma - Mamma (Me...her mommie)
Maaaaau - Meow (for a cat ofcourse)
Maunin - Morning (and that's actually the way she says Good Morning)
ba-ta-ta - Batata (which is potato and lining them up on the kitchen platform is her favorite pass-time)
thaatheee - Carry (which is the first and only word I hear once I'm home)
ousshide - this is the answer to where is Tanya's car  - yes...Outside it is!!
Paappumm - Pamper
Pappadh - Papuud (which is a baby term in konkani for clothes)
Paaishhhaa - Paisa (which is money and she is one cute paisa collector you can't refuse;-))
Theetthaa - tikka (her kajal tikka is her favorite make up...the powder & lotion happen to be a delicacies)
Taataannn - a very melodious tone to it...this is the way we say "Thank You"

Well....it's amazing how quickly kids pick up words, languages, signs and other media of communication. And this is just the beginning of the cute chit-chat with my cute kiddie and very soon.....this will mean....I stop talking and start listening. :-P

Puppie and Bunnie .....bond :-)

Watching your kids bond over a meal....a game.....a toy.......is probably the best part of watching your kids grow up together.
I have and will always want my kids to be the best of friends....and well...that's just the way they look like.
This trip to Goa helped me capture a few such moments puppie n bunnie shared and from the looks of it......they sure had oks like they had fun.

 Having fun with a friend's cycle...and I am glad they took turns.

Here they are seen sharing window space

playing around ...watching TV

Sharing a Mango....:-) 

Sharing a favorite meal.







A sibling is a friend ....a gift that's granted....someone who shares your toys...clothes.....books......TV....room....and the parents too :-) And with Aisha and Tanya....i hope the madness continues.....the love grows......the mischief is in abundance...and the innocence is never lost.
mmmwwaaaahhh :*

memories made through music

Like a long, lonely stream
I keep runnin' towards a dream
Movin' on, movin' on
Like a branch on a tree
I keep reachin' to be free
Movin' on, movin' on

There's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for everyone
Where my poor, restless heart's got to run
There's a place in the sun
And before my life is done
Gotta find me a place in the sun

Like an old dusty road
I get weary from the load
Movin' on, movin' on
Like this tired, troubled Earth
I been rollin' since my birth
Movin' on, movin' on

There's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for everyone
Where my poor, restless heart's gotta run
There's a place in the sun
And before my life is done
Gotta find me a place in the sun
Gotta find me a place in the sun

Engelbert Humperdinck - his songs are timeless.....
I heard these songs way back in the early 80's. And listening to him brings back memories of a wonderful childhood. 
Dad, mom, my brother, my Papa and me.....5 people, maybe a few hundred square feet of space.....lots of love......and lovely music.
 

It's 44 after 1

Time flies............and it flies fast. No warnings....no replays.....no rewind.

Time brings with it moments which unfold with every passing day...every passing hour....every passing minute... And it was in such a passing minute that Tanya chose to walk! This was a minute of waking to a realization that bunny was growing up and boy...was she growing fast.

27th January 2013....Republic Day.....at Nana-Papa's home.......Tanya walked.

To an extremely charmed audience comprising of her Nana, her Luiza nana....Jocelyn mashaan, Sybil mashaan, her mamma, Dada and her Didi, Tanya showed off her newly acquired skill with so much enthusiasm and delight it was impossible to take our eyes of her.

"Come to Mamma", " Come to Dada", "Come to Didi", "Come to Nana"..........and awwwwww she obliged us all with that endearing smile that never went away from her face...........100% satisfaction guaranteed :-)  

That is probably one of the few milestones I have been able to record of my sunflower...my little bunny girl.

Today.....44 days after Tanya has turned 1 year old; I Annette.............mommy to Aisha and Tanya am again attempting to script memories for my loved ones, my friends and my family. And I hope I am able to do justice to my girls :-)

To Aisha and Tanya!

Aisha makes her wish!

It was a warm July afternoon in the year 2011.........

We were at the baby shower of my sister-in-law when I knew something was different.......
I dint feel good....was tired....looked terrible!!
I recalled how Aisha kept asking me if I was having a baby in my tummy as well as if....... a baby in her aunt's tummy meant all other women also have babies in their tummy's. ......which thus included her grandma's as well.
In her own trademark style she'd ask "Mamma in your potu babu is there?", I'd say, "Nope".
She'd then run to Amma and ask,"Amma, aapke potu mein babu hain?" (I was amused everytime I saw Amma chuckle at Aisha's silly questions)
One fine day.....she came up to me and asked me the same question.....to which I answered...,"no baby....no babu in mamma's potu"....to which she replied, "In your potu babu is there!!" (ofcourse i wasn't amused..)

Deepu at her Godh Bharai and feeding a kid a piece of boiled egg  which is a custom
Well, the sole boy got the first preference...however, I was sure deepu was having a girl...
The glow of a girl is seen on Deepu's face.

Well, a week later we are at Deepa's godh bharai (baby shower)
and I am delayed by a week. And by the punctuality of my dates, i decided to take the test......and Aisha was right!
Manish & I were expecting our second baby and .....Aisha;
.....her sibling! Well, Manish excitedly broke the news to puppy and asked her the obvious question...,"Kuku....Mamma ka potu mein babu is there!!!, what you want??? brother or sister???"
Aisha does not hesitate a moment before stating,"I want a sister"
And....there's silence......and ....ahem........looks were exchanged.........
Oooopss.......everyone at home which includes me were like,"sister!!! why don't you want a brother???....if u have a sister, you will have to share everything with her".....but that never changed Aisha's preference.

That's my little puppy....with her little cousin Pritika, whom she couldn't keep her hands off.....(all of 2 years and 10 months......clear in her head......throughout the nine months......Aisha was sure.....she wanted a sister!
The wait had begun.....she was to have her sibling in March.(coincidently...Pritika is also a March baby :-))

at a loss of words

That's probably what losing a loved one does to you....... Never ever thought that I'd spend hours and days wondering what to write. People always said that I was gifted at being able to pour out my feelings in black n white.





But here I am.....at a loss of words...unable to express the why, what, how and when's of my life of the last 13 months that have flown by almost unnoticed by me. As I write today..... Life has changed....and I find myself orphaned by the loss of my father and gifted in the birth of my second daughter. Someone somewhere has some sense of timing!!! I love you daddy.....and I promise you....Aisha and Tanya will never forget you.