First Day and Beyond!!

It was one of those "where has time gone?" moments when we saw a first grader and a kindergartner all ready for school.

For Y, this was our first year of public school, making his parents (read: his mom) super nervous. We haven't ventured onto taking the school bus yet. One baby step at a time - at least for mama! Lots of firsts for him. School lunches have been a big thing. While I miss having lunch together, Y is doing awesome eating in the school cafeteria and his lunch box usually comes back empty. Dada drops him off in the drive-through lane and Y crosses the road and gets himself to assembly and his class. The first week of school was a blur of prayers and nerves and pelting the boy with lots of questions when he came home. He loves Library time the most and comes home with loads of Star Wars and Superhero books.

M started Kindy with full confidence. She is with Mrs McCormack, Yo's teacher from last year, making it all totally deja-vu! She is making new friends and totally loving it. She is such a social butterfly and can't stop yapping with her classmates and teachers.

  

  

  

  

Part 3 - Thailand

We took off for four days to Phuket, Thailand, to celebrate Niku and Avantika's wedding in style. The kiddos stayed back with Gampa and Gama while the parents galavanted!

The three day, five function Big Fat Phuket wedding was quite the extravaganza. We enjoyed people watching, binge eating and the opportunity to get out of our jeans and get into full-on desi finery! Definitely want to go back and see more of Thailand. 

  

  

Part 2 - M's birthday in India

M turned 5 in India. It was a big deal. She was beyond excited and had been planning a 'Frozen' birthday party for eons. We had bought decorations before we left for India and had sent dada a long list of blue and silver things to buy before he joined us.

Gama made an awesome Olaf cake that hands down beat any cake we'd seen online. There was blue jello and blue marshmallow pops, coconut snow balls and blue lemonade. Malaika wore her Elsa dress and all our friends and family gathered to celebrate her!

  

  

  

  

Playing catch up - Part 1 India

It's been a while since we got back from India but the days of lazing and being catered to for every meal are now behind us. Shopping on Commercial Street is a distant dream. We're back to the routine, back to frenzied mornings and jumping in and out of our minivan. But more on that for later.

Bangalore was da bomb ;) We had lots of mangoes and lots of outside playtime or shopping time, as the case may be. The kids loved hanging out with the grandparents and getting loads of attention from Tan Tan and Ajujus. Almost every weekend they had cousins and friends visiting us and the most willing and enthusiastic playmates in Vani aunty and Lakhmi aunty. The mosquitoes and bumpy roads were not any less annoying than previous trips. But no one fell sick and the weather was perfect for us Portlanders.

Link to pictures.