Happy - Sad ! The new household word

I believe every household has it own set of unique words that get used. Some of it makes perfect sense while others are just for the family.
We have several of them in the Joel household. Starting from pet names all the way to code words for the big and small job. Well the big and small job are not really much of code words.
Pet names were created by dad who so dislikes second names. Bumbaloos and Tutoos for the two munchkins.
We also adopted words from some of our favorite shows - like Zrrrbbbtt from the 'Cosby show'. Zrbbttt aka Strawberry kisses.
But this recent one 'Happy- Sad' is probably my favorite. It started with when we got deep into Missionary stories with homeschool. I think it was two years ago that I was reading to Isaac 'Missionary Stories with the Millers'. I usually am a relatively emotionless person. But this one story got to me and as the story ended I was crying.
Are you sad Amma?
Yes?
And I got a much needed hug.
A few days later we were watching a video by Samsung. The one with the blind kids :)

Again I was in tears.
Amma you are sad?
No :). I am Happy sad.

And just like it became a household word. Every time I cried after that, for stories I read or videos we watched together, I was asked
Amma are you Happy Sad?

Yesterday we watched this video

And again I got all teary!  Maybe because I feel to some extent I have sucked out the color from my kids lives. Because I also recently feel drained of any color!
Amma are you Happy Sad
Kind of !
So to we decide to do a Happy sad emoji :)

 

The New Generation - Things we never said to our parents

I find my son and daughter telling me things. Things that make me wonder 'Did I ever say that to my mother or father'. I am not a lovy dovy person. I am totally practical. They way I show my love is by doing things for you. Like picking up your socks or baking a cake!
But these two little munchkins come up with the perfect liners at the perfect time that make you want to hold your chest and say 'Oh My do I really deserve this LOVE'.
My top five favorites are
1. 'I love you Amma': I don't believe I every told my parents I loved them. Maybe  they felt it when I was obedient or did as they told me (which was not very often either). But come the new Generation and I get so many 'I love you's'. And its not only about the 'I love you's', its the timing. Usually its when either I walk in to the door or when Isaac or Ziva walk in after a park visit. A hug and and 'I love you' and the days is perfect! Makes every day fell like Mothers Day #EveryDayIsMothersDay #MothersDay

2. 'I miss you Amma': I never said this to my parents. Even when I saw them after a 3 month long summer vacation where me and my sister were packed off to Kerala to be with our grandparents. Its not that I did not miss them - its just  - I guess our generation. But with Isaac and Ziva even a 15 minutes trip to the grocery store and back and I get a 'I missed you Amma'. Heart melting and reaching for the tissue box.

3. 'Don't take for so long OK' : This is another version of the ' I miss you'. As I was packing my bag for a baking course I was planning on spending the whole Saturday at, I go this little piece of advise ' Amma don't take for so long OK - come back soon'.  Whether it was the sweetness in the structure of the sentence or the innocence with which it was said I don't know! Its  just makes me seem so special! #EveryDayIsMothersDay

4. 'Have fun Amma!' : This was right after I sat Isaac and Ziva down for a conversation on how I would go for a baking class and learn to make yummy things for them. They listened very carefully as I told them to be good and not trouble Appa. As I got ready to walk out of the door I got this call 'Have fun Amma'. 

5. Classic: This is probably the one that goes on top of the list. It was a conversation between me and Ziva that I should have recorded. Three and half year old Ziva had just watched 'Cinderella' with her cousins. As she was playing with her dolls back home I heard her say
' Yes Step mother'. I stopped
' Ziva who is the step mother' . Ziva coyly responded
' Cinderella's mother'
' Am a step mother' I asked wondering what she understood about a step mother.
' No step mother gets very angry' Ziva responded
' I get very angry Ziva' I edged her on
' Yes but you get very angry and then you get very happy with me. '
It seemed like the most philosophical way of explaining to a three year old about the mother who loved her and therefore had to correct her. She gave my mother skill justification and a guarantee stamp with those innocent word!

#EveryDayIsMothersDay and #MothersDay

This blog is written for a mother's day blogging contest New Generation

Mommy is sick

**Rant begins**
What happens when mommy falls sick?
I rarely fall sick ... at least in the past 3.5 years since moving to Bangalore ... Maybe I had a cold or tummy ache once or twice. Whenever I have a bad day with the kids ... I keep thinking ' God I wish I could call in sick to work tomorrow.'
Work is right here and falling sick makes no difference to anyone really. The chores are the same... the place is the same and the 'REST' is out of the question. Yes I do have a full time maid but the  maximum I can get is an extra half hour and that too gets taken up because I am just able to drag myself about the house to get things done before the crew is back in the house jumping on the bed ... yanking at each other guts and screaming bloody murder (actually Ziva is the only one who screams murder ... Isaac runs behind her just to hear her scream.)
Yes I am on a roll today. And I am whining. But after 4 days of headaches ... today I can actually think straight!.  And after this past week I am very grateful to God for Good health.
In the US, it is FLU season. I remember for the first 7 years wondering why people complained about getting the FLU. Then the 7th year I got it. THE FLU. I have never rolled out of bed before but those 7 days days in Feb 2008 I could do nothing but roll out! Luckily there were no kids and so lying in bed was allowed.
In 2010 about 3 months after Isaac was born, I was diagnosed with penumonia and while rest of was recommended ... mommy had a surprise waiting. Little boy Isaac was diagnosed with RSV and spent  4 days in the hospital. Sick mommy + sick baby makes a terrible combination.
 Then I had a three year break and 2011 Feb I got the FLU yet again. This time Isaac was around but I was pregnant and Ammachi and Appa took full charge of Isaac and I got to lie in bed again!
And here we are again 2015 and the FLU is back. I am trying to think whether the headaches were worse or driving to art and soccer class with the kids was worse. But I would drive any where just to have an hour of no kids and peace around me.
I think there is an unwritten rule book that says ' Mommy - thou shalt not fall sick'. Every time I pop vitamins and drink down gallons of water at the slightest sight of a cold ... Suresh says I am slowly bordering on becoming a hypochondriac. Then again I would prefer being a 'hypochondriac' Mommy than a 'sick' Mommy
Last week the FLU had hit Daddy too. Now I don't know if Daddy's just handle sickness better or they have a whole lot more strength than us. Daddy popped an antibiotic and a pain med, complained about his headache but carried on about his day as usual ... making me think that he went to work and slept it off!!!
I remember going to work with colds and headaches ... and I keep wondering whats different now. After all the bed is just a couple steps away. I think the key is psychology! At work I had the joy of going home early because of my 'ailment'. I remember the joy of filling in the form that said 'Sick' day and sending that email to the boss or calling in sick. After all we had 'SICK' days.
I think mommy's should have Sick days! Just so that we can claim it!

And guess what the next thing on my plate is bound to be?  With all my runny nose and sniffling and yet snuggling and co-sleeping, I am sure Isaac or Ziva are bound to come down with something and while Mommy gets no one to bring her hot soup/tea or tuck her into bed ... This mommy may be on nurse duty driving down medicine into a 3 and 5 year old! Lets stock up on the Vitamin C!

**Rant ends (does it really!!)**