aisone

[aisone]

Avyaan -The Terrific Ten

Tonight as I pen my thoughts again, I realize how time has whizzed past. From the moment he was born to tonight, when he is person with a mind of his own. Sometimes, a better brain than me, his mom and sometime better than his dad too.

Avyaan’s accomplishments are many, some small, some big but he has grown each day in a small way. He has learnt little things, which when combined became a big task. For e.g., he is no longer scared to be by himself on the third floor while doing poo-poo (yes, we still call it that) and he can clean himself well and takes shower by himself too. Avyaan can get himself dressed up- showered, dried, moisturized (& sunscreen), brush his hair et al. He then proceeds to come downstairs where we are, to announce he is ready. Of course, all of this transpired during his summer vacations when he has had a ton of time. All through the summer, he has been lazying around at home, playing video games for hours, studying Hindi some days, or helping with household chores, when asked. But he has gotten so much better at being inclusive at home. He steadfastly picks up groceries from the car inside and then brings all the bags upstairs. He even picks up my purse and brings it in or up the stairs every time. Small things, but making big impact, both on us and him too.

Avyaan has gotten so much better with Hindi. He can read Grade I chapter books and does the  assignments by himself. Not all are correct but his zeal to finish his assignment as much as he can is impressive. He is impressive.

Avyaan is very warm and kind. He can irritate me sometimes, or maybe I get too touchy sometimes. But after every such outburst, I make sure to apologize to him. I hope I am making a decent impression, although I need to sometimes control my outburst. I/We need to learn from him; his EQ is very high. His calmness is commendable even when he is upset, his face will show his inner turbulence, but he tries and often succeeds in maintaining his composure. He rarely gets mad. May be he has taken after his Nanima or as he calls her, Mamma. Stoic, witty, patient and calm. Like Buddha!

As he turns 10 years old, we are celebrating the person he is turning into. We are also celebrating our parenthood. Although, I still haven’t been the kind and magnitude of parent my mother was to me. Pravin has been a very staunch, supportive and always by Avyaan’s side dad. Pravin is not able to spend as much time now as he would want to, since this summer he has been much absorbed by his work at FedEx with his new manager, Jun.

I hope that I will be able to give more quality time to Avyaan than I already have done so. As Pravin says, I am better when I am employed. I do more when I have little time. 

We are celebrating Avyaan’s Tenth birthday with a paintball party in Monroe, this year. He didn’t have a birthday party for two years during COVID. I am hoping it will be a good one and will help him make good memories of his tenth birthday. Something that he will remember fondly in his later years.

Avyaan is a rising Fifth Grader, and will start Fifth grade on September 6th at Village Elementary in West Windsor-Plainsboro School District this year. After this school year, Avyaan will become a middle schooler. Time - the most precious of our asset. I am trying to hold on to my little one, who is turning into a youth so fast.

Avyaan loves American pop music and listens to it daily and can identify all of the songs, singers, and or groups. He is into commercial plains with Boeing  777s and Airbuses 380s. He is also into SpongeBob funny videos. Avyaan has read the complete Harry Potter series multiple times a few months back. He has been re-reading all of the books he has at home, even some of the lower grade level books, to escape his boredom. Current aspiration is to read The Lord of The Rings. I haven’t read it and do not know whether it is age and grade appropriate. He also got assigned to a new teacher at school. Audrey Chen is a freshly minted teacher at WWP- Village. She will start teaching fifth graders in this school district from this year on. 

We went to the Sai Temple. Somehow, we couldn’t make it in time. It was closed by the time we reached. We will try again tomorrow. 

There is so much that happens in a child’s life in a moment.And here I am, trying to encapsulate a full year. I have forgotten some important accomplishments of his that I had thought would go into this journal tonight. But the effort is to continue writing this as long as I can. Someday, when we read it together, we will walk through these years and re-live it all over again.

And, he is a Red Belt in Taekwondo, working towards his Probationary Black Belt. Good Luck, little guy. We are rooting for you!

I love our gul-guls every morning.

To the person who has made me mature and brave, my heart beats calmer with you around me, and I am happier when I hug you tight.

Upwards and onwards- Charyut!

Hugs and Kisses! -Mommy. August 29, 2022.

[aisone]

Avyaan - On cloud Nine! Today Avyaan turned nine years old, or young. He has grown tremendously in the last one year. He celebrated his eighth birthday in the midst of the pandemic last year. This year, although the vaccines have arrived and have been taken by almost half of the US populatio, still the Delta variant, a gift from India, is ravaging the country spreading mostly among and through the unvaccinated morons. apolo for the harsh language, but it affects the health safety of millions of kids under 12. these are the ones who have yet not had the FDA’s approval for the vaccines. We are vaccinated since July of ‘21, yet we follow all safety guidelines to keep children and others at risk safe. how tough is it to think about others safety right now? Too much for some..

coming back to the star of our show, the light of our lives and the reason why we live and keep pushing farther- our nine year old Avyaan. He got the blessinns and best wishes of all his loved ones and friends. And, although we missed another year of celebratio, we quietly celebrated by traveling to Boston. We have tried to maintain all health safety precautions and will continue to do so upon our return too. Avyaan has accomplished a lot in the last one year. He has grown to be 4 feet and 7.3/4K’’ tall and managed to keep his weight below 95 lbs. Avyaan learnt Hindi through StarTalk program with his teachers- Soma jee and two others. He also participated (virtually) in a Hindi play. He looked so cute being chaurangi chaiwala! Avyaan became a red belt in Taekwondo recently. Another feather in his cap, and all by being attentive and practising well at home, through remote classes.

He also started Piano lessons and has gone beyond what his teacher, Mark was teaching him. He plays a few songs ahead of his schedule. Both, father and son love playing the piano since it has arrived. Coach Kevin started giving swim lessons to Avyaan a few weeks back. With a 1/2 hour lesson once a week, followed by two days of self-coached practice in the club, he has managed to amaze both his teacher and us too. Coal K used to say Avyaan is a violent swimmer; now he’s full of praises for Avyaan. Avyaa’s generation is smart, no doubt, but Avyaan is smarter than his ilk. He consistently scores in the 99th percentile in his tests, and seems to be gifted. Although the school has never confirmed this, something about school policy. We’ll see how it goes in the 4th grade. He’s a rising 4th grader in Village Elementary (VE) which starts from September 8th. He’ll also be joining Orchestra there and will be learning a string instrument. This year has been especially tough on all of us. Avyaan lost his paternal grandfather on May 3rd. We told him about his loss a little later, but he was grief strluck just the same. He still gets emotional when he watches Pravin‘s sadness. We hadn’t met his grandfather in three years. The trauma is compounded by the grief of not having met him for so long. We’ll have to wait and see how much has he been impacted by the loss once he gets to Patna, and is surrounded by family minus the one.

Avyaan is greeting funnier in his ripostes just like his grandfather. He is also very gentle and kind like his grandfather. There are other qualities that Avyaan shares with his grandfathe-, intelligence, kindness, calm and positivity. I hope that he gets his Dadaji’s blessings each day.

On a new note, Avyaan took a shower all by himself today, soaping and cleaning himself well. And, he asked to do it himself. Atta boy!

We are looking forward to getting him vaccinated and then taking him to India to meet his family. Mamma awaits to meet him. she will be shocked to see Avyaan’s transformation from 5 yo to a 9 yo. To those days again…..

“ You are the miracle I had lost all hope of, and then you arrived, making me believe that my miracle is divinely mine.”

[aisone]

Avyaan - on his Great Eight!

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."- Westward Ho, Samuel Beckett.

The most famous quote by the author which has become a favorite in our household. As Avyaan turns the Great Eight today, he has fallen, cried, gotten hurt, tried again and succeeded. The mantra “Try Again……” has been ingrained in him this season by Pravin, his dad, to encourage him to make his best effort. And best he does, to better his failure and in those attempts, ends up succeeding!

I have so started believing in this tenacious spirit of the humans and especially if there are people standing right behind you, ready to hold you strong if you fall.

Avyaan has since his past birthday grown up so much. He has since late March 2020 (approximately since 26th, March 2020), been locked inside like millions of other kids his age, younger and older to him. The summer of 2020 has been one of the lowest keyed one. I had thought of summer of 2019 to be a low-key one since I was preparing for my NY Bar. But more on Avyaan, the birthday boy. As it is, his birthday falls right before the school starts and much after his school year has ended, therefore, finding the right mix of friends for his birthday parties has been an interesting exercise each year. This year has been no different, the pandemic restrictions adding to the complexity. Upon asking what he wanted for his birthday party, A asked for a zoom party. Easy right? Well not so, since we have been out of touch with most of his class friends since the lockdown started and no neighborhood kids would be allowed to attend an in-person party. Also, it wouldn’t be safe for either the host or the guest(s). So, with much trepidation, I reached out to everyone of his former classmates along with the neighborhood kids that he has been playing with. Much to my surprise and his happiness, a lot of them turned up for the zoom party. Though it was for a very short time, A says he had a great time. We got him his favorite chocolate ganache cake from Nino’s and he cut it with his friends singing the birthday party song. He also got his birthday presents which he had been prepared that he was not getting this year, what with coronavirus and health safety issues. At the end of the day, he said he was happy! His words were- “the best birthday ever”!

My heartfelt thanks to all who attended, but most of all to Almighty for making it a happy event for Avyaan. I am also grateful to Pravin for he was the one who got all A’s birthday gifts, by ordering them online or picking them up from the store. A also got to speak with his grandparents from his dad’s side. All in all a good day. His smile really means my life! Oh, and we had pizza for the third of fourth time in less than four weeks, just for him. Spoilt!

Avyaan has been an incredibly calm, composed and collected child during this pandemic lockdown. He has never once complained to go out and do things as we would during normal times. Although, he has, of late started asking when this would end. That my child, is all of our question. We pray and we keep marching on.

Avyaan will be starting school from this Fall, i.e. September 8th, 2020, for the new school year. Majority of the WWP school kids, over sixty percent are being homeschooled through the School District’s virtual classroom option. Avyaan wanted to go to school, albeit it will be a hybrid option, which means he will be completing seventy percent of schoolwork online from home. Yet, the few hours each day, every other week, may/will make him feel better, more connected, albeit mentally. We are preparing him to wear mask, face shield, stay socially distanced, and constant handwashing. We are still on the edge for his health safety. All in His hands now!

From seven to eight, another year goes by and he grows up more, physically, mentally and emotionally. He seems to be growing up fine, with good social skills, kindness and courtesy. Of course he is smart too. But, I personally think, he is a very gentle child. Pravin says, it is okay. Pravin will be right behind him to protect and support him, if and when he needs us. Tiger Dad!

Avyaan’s Hindi has improved. He can speak better and longer sentences, and can carry a conversation beyond the couple of sentences. He did a complementary online coding class and outclassed his contemporaries, so much so that the coding company/tutor was after him with specials and discounts to get him enrolled in their program. I suspect he learns better with his Dad. But we will get him enrolled into a formal structured coding class soon.

He is set to enter third grade at DutchNeck. This time next year, he will have graduated Elementary School and onto the Upper Elementary. Time flies….nope it skyrockets at breakneck speed.

For my bubba, we wish for you the best of health, happiness and a life full of love for you! Onto the next and next and next, so many more years…..my tightest hugs, poochis, and heartful of love!

-Mommy

[aisone]

In Seventh Heaven- AVN Turns Seven!

Hello There!

First of all, a Very Happy Seventh Birthday, to my little guy growing taller, stronger, bigger each year! Tonight, as I write this blog, he has turned seven. The day started with his play seat (converted crib to sofa seat/reading nook) covered in smiley balloons and gifts from both of us. A couple of Dog Man books, that he is currently into, a couple of board games, (chess, scrabble), and the usual, Lego- Ninjago, on his special request.

After the usual hugs and greetings, and during his first meal itself, he spoke to a few of his close family- Dadima/Dadaji, Mamma, Cha/Chi, Nikki Di/Chikki Di etc. He then opened his board games and played a few rounds with me and squarely knocked me out. I haven’t played Chess in ages, and I sheepishly conceded. As we had planned to take him to the temple, it however got waylaid by his playdate with his friend- Avik. He did have a blast as he spent a few hours playing out in his friend’s backyard. Only during these times, I wish, I was working and contributing so we could have bought a house for him to build his memories. No worries, He plans for us and will provide for us too!

As AVN completes another year, I can only marvel at how good he has become at certain things, like-

He can eat his own meals- lunch and dinner (mostly Indian).

He loves my cooking and especially relishes chicken, just like his Dad.

He has become a decent cricket player, after recently following the Cricket World Cup- passionately.

He follows games and their broadcasts passionately, just like his Dad.

He plays like crazy in the playground, and is often back home after 8:0, when it is almost dark.

He has gotten better at following instructions, with me insisting on him to do so (not so gently though).

He speaks very good hindi, even with the limited vocabulary. His Shukriyaan- is too cute.

He is into Hindi film songs – hardcore, especially into Hindi Rap (courtesy- me, except for the Rap).

Old Town Road (Lil NasX) – knows every single word and sings it repeatedly, or has it on repeat on Youtube.

Also in his favorites, is Pharrell Williams- Happy. I like it too.

AVN will be starting second grade from next week- Thursday, September 5th, 2019. My little guy has turned into a bigger boy.

He is on his Senior Yellow belt, and has gotten enrolled into the Black Belt Club. We’ll see how he does there.

Oh, and he is FUNNY! He comes back with very witty repartees! Phew! He has taken after his paternal grandfather in that.

Oh, and a lot more that I am unable to recall right away. He is helpful, kind, smiling and courteous, though a bit shy still. But, we are working on it. He is still good (extremely good) with arithmetic way above his school grade. His reading is also, above average, although he needs to work on creative writing. He seems to get bored of writing. We will work on that too. Oh, and well, He know knows all hindi letters and can write a lot of hindi words with an impressive accuracy. All credits to Daddy!

His birthday party is scheduled for Saturday, September 7th, and will be a laser tag party in Princeton. I have tried to keep his birthday parties as different and entertaining, from the 3rd year that we have celebrated, with a gap in the fourth year.

Avyaan, my baby, my sonchidaiyya, is growing up, and all I ask is that he take his time and let us enjoy his growing up as much as we can. If wishes were horses, I would have him back in my tummy and go through the journey all over. To him and his growing up, and to many more years of birthday jingles, candles, cakes and parties for him!!

Happy Seventh Birthday, my angel!

Infinite Love, Tightest Hugs and Wishes from my overwhelmed heart!

Mommy

8/29/19

#avnseven heavenatseven inseventhheaven

[aisone]

The Magic Stix- Six

A Hits a Six- Yaaaay!!!!

The little one is no more little now. He is a young man- all of six year old today. As usual, Daddy and Mommy decided to wake him up smocked in a barrage of colorful balloons, only this time we added a cake lit with 6+1 candles (Lego ones, to be precise), for him to blow out, and start his day with. This was followed by a few clicks for the grandparents sharing. And then a balloon kamikaze, first with Daddy dearest and then with poor Mommy. I had a blast this morning.

A has grown a few inches taller than last year, growing up to little over 4 feet. Most likely touching 4"2' atleast (he's shown a growth spurt since we returned from our Canada trip recently).

Amongst other things, he has learnt how to wear his socks, dress (pull up pants mostly), rinse dishes to a sparkle in the kitchen sink, ride a specialized (geared) bike, write in cursive, do 3rd grade math and understand almost the same grade level or higher science concepts. And, oh he's learnt to speak better hindi. The last one is a gift from our India trip that we returned from a couple of months back. He speaks and tries to learn more hindi words; like this morning he asked me the hindi word for daughter while trying to pass the phone to me from Mamma! And the accent- I am so in love with his firangi accent. Well, I am in love with all things his, or as I say, all things mine- he is mine, for a few more years. The poor mommy's heart!

He apologizes profusely and actively when he notices his errors or when  they are pointed out to him. He is a very courteous kid. Pravin says he is also very simple at heart. That bothers me a little, which is why he is now enrolled in Taek-wondo. Just today, he got a new belt- white with green stripes. Master Stevens told him and me that Avyaan had skipped a belt. I hope he gets better each day.

Birthday party is scheduled for September 8th at a VR Gaming Center in Langhorne, PA. I will be writing more about that  in my handwritten journal.

For now, as we celebrated A's paternal GP's 50th wedding anniversary, we also pray for a happy, healthy and long life for them. A is incredibly lucky to have such loving set of grandparents on both sides.

As A starts another school year and enters First Grade, here's wishing him a joyous and rewarding year ahead, with many happy days and healthy nights spent in the company of his loved ones. And, of course, we will still be looking at him in awe when he is sleeping, cuddled right next to us; looking angelic, as Pravin says.

Much love, tight hugs and sloppy kisses- Mommy! Always and Forever!

#Aturnssix

[aisone]

5 Summers Back!

A Turns 5 Today!!!

So little man has turned 5 today! Bless his heart. And he did it with a party with his very new friends in Princeton/WW, NJ at a Rock Climbing Center. Of course, we had to have the party on a weekend, on the 26th. But today, we went to the the Balaji Temple in Bridgewater, NJ for a darshan. Some celebration was needed. He hasn’t received any presents per se from us this year. But then, we were so focused on celebrating his birthday in a new place that we didn't have enough time to decide/find him a present. Nevertheless, Daddy dearest will most likely find him a present soon. Right now, we are a one income family, therefore a little stretched, but for our little charmer, there are no budget cuts. 

We moved from Memphis on Ma 16th in search of greener pastures. And although, I am still searching the greens, this is more about the little man.

So he started going to Bright Horizons at Carnegie Center for summer as we moved here. Now, in less than a week, he is going to start KG at Dutch Neck Elementary School. One of the reasons we moved here was for better schools for the little guy. That seems to be okay, for now. I am more anxious than him or his daddy, about the start of the school year.

LM (Little Man) also lost his first milk tooth on 8/13. He was amazingly happy, explaining very excitedly that this was bound to happen as he was turning five, all the while as I dragged him upstairs to wash his bloodied mouth. He did not flinch, not one bit, as he gurgled water out of his bloodied mouth. This morning as he got up and was scooped up by me, wishing him a happy birthday, the first thing that he asked me was, “is there a new tooth coming out in place of the fallen one?”. Amazing as to how priorities change as we age. He is now more interested in turning 5, 6, 9 and 10- growing up fast. Oh how and if only we could tell him to hold on to his kiddie days and enjoy them as much as we all can!

LM has also gone on to reading books by himself. He is now very keen on reading by himself, which was a pleasant surprise for me. All this within a span of less than 5 months when his teacher (in Memphis pre-school) was concerned about his (lack of) reading and word-identifying skills. Now he can amazingly spot and read words while shopping, driving, or just passing by a hoarding. All kudos to Daddy!! Of course, LM is excellent with numbers- addition (big numbers too), subtraction and, hold your horses- multiplication of 1,2,3 and with a little help 4. He also does basic multiplication of 10s series too. Am I proud or what? Of course, all kudos to Daddy, again. His shyness has also gone for a tailspin. He will talk to everyone, provided his curiosity is sufficiently piqued. Just this morning, he spoke at length with his Fufajee!! He He! Nice.

Also he is into basketball big time, plays regularly with his daddy in a basketball court in the county park, with a regular BB ball. He is surprisingly good for a little guy his age! 

There are a ton of other things that I may have missed here, but I will keep updating it as I remember. For now, a very happy 5th summer to my chirpy chidiya- my “son chidaiyya”!!

His ever grateful to have him in her life- Mommy! 8/29/17

[aisone]

A turns a “big boy” at 4 today!

My Little man is now a big boy. So much has happened in the last one year. We celebrated our little champ completing 4 years, transforming into an inquisitive little guy. He knows about most of the stuff, and for those that he doesn’t, he observes carefully and deduces. And then asks or rather announces to us, which in his way, is his confirmation of his knowledge. Little A has learnt a lot of words, which amazes me to no ends. When I ask him, where did he learn all these words, his standard reply is: “at school.” Well, we all know he learns a lot at home and from both of us, but his insistence, sometime pains me. I am a work in progress too. Learning to be a good parent, as I grow each year with him. A recently started taking swimming lessons, at our complex’s poolside. A couple of lessons later, he suffered an asthmatic episode, for the first time. I was shocked, but reacted instantly by taking him to the Doctor, where he received medical attention, promptly and timely. I am so grateful, I listened to my mommy voice. He is now doing better, with a rescue inhaler safely placed in his medical supplies box. Swimming lessons have been put on a hold. Hopefully, to be revived soon. Coming back to our little guy, he also started speaking hindi, which my husband, painstakingly teaches him, every night. Most nights, A falls asleep, the moment Daddy starts teaching him hindi words. But, somehow, he has caught up on some basic words, and uses it disarmingly. Haan and Neyi are the most used. He also said something like, “main battery khatam hai”, after a long day, as we headed to Costco in the evening one day. The way he said it, without any prompts, made us feel amazed. Here’s to A speaking more fluent hindi in the coming year. A is now in pre-K, at Kindercare on Poplar. Same school, good teacher, same times, etc. However, a good news is that his school has or will in the next week or so, start Kindergarten classes. This is a great respite for us, if we stay in Memphis that long. I am still looking to move out of the city, albeit very slowly. I think I need to amp up my efforts. Along the same lines, A visited home (read India), this summer and met with his cousins. He had a blast and so did his cousins. A remembers his cousins very well now. He also met with my grandmother, who was sick. She met him with great enthusiasm, blessed him and was very happy to see him. He was a little uncomfortable, understandably so, as he hasn’t been around such old people before. Well, before any of us could make him understand the precious presence of a great grandmother, she passed away a month after our return to the US. Her blessings will stay with our little guy. A celebrated his big day, staying home from school, opening presents, assembling lego trains with both, Mommy and Daddy and then going out for a few hours in the afternoon. We went to the town square where A enjoyed a very old steam engine and caboose car exhibits. To say that he was ecstatic, would be an understatement. His love for trains is remarkable. I am at a loss in figuring out, as to where did he get this passion from. We love it, irrespective. We love our little guy. Here’s to his 4th birthday. I hope to make this momentous year, as thrilling, interesting, invigorating, healthy and happy for him, as I can. Before he starts school next year, we need to do a lot of good things together. To this thought and more, with all my love and then so much more, have a happy, healthy and cuddled 4th year, my betu!

[aisone]

My Little Man is Three Today

Hello World! Little A completed three full seasons- summer, winter, fall and spring, this day today. Now that he is a pre-schooler, he has been doing so much stuff- talking more, in sentences, recognizing things, counting to twenty, reciting his ABCs and questioning everything. "Mommy, wazzat?" So we decided to celebrate all of this and make it a memorable day for the little buddy. It started with him waking up in a bed of colorful balloons. He smiled the widest for this time of the day, realizing this meant something special. Also before he woke up fully and opened his eyes, Ma called and sang the happy birthday song to him. He only nodded sleepily. Later in the day, we threw a birthday party for the fire truck crazy A, at the Memphis Fire Museum. We had a ball. We had 24 people including 9 kids attending. A loved driving the fire trucks(of course models), driving a simulated fire truck with a video screen and trying to put out a simulated fire. We also had other kids age ranging 3 to 7 years, enjoy to the fullest. It was expensive with the whole venue, cake, food, favors etc., but it was totally worth it. We now look forward to growing up another year with little A, learning with him, and standing tall with him too. In the midst, I am also trying to look for better opportunities. We will see how that unfolds. For now, Happy 3rd, my little Man! Muaah:) Proud Mommy

[aisone]

A Is TWO!!

A completed 2 years on the 29th August. We had a little party with a friend and her 5 year old daughter. A was a little shy but opened up and played well with her. So much so that she wasn't ready to leave later in the evening. I must say we did a little better than last year. Still hub wants to do a bigger celebration back home when we visit in December. The best part as before Bhai was here too. A took to him like fish to water. He is adorable when comfortable. I hope he does better when we fly to India in the winter. A has grown up so much in the last few months. He understands more directions, responds well to requests and well talks a bit more. He may need to do little more talking but we can wait for clarity in his words. I can understand some of what he says and feel proud to convey it to family. But as Mom says she needs to hear it from A himself. We will give him some more time and work with him. Also he loves water- any form, any where. We plan to introduce him to swimming- given that it is warm and he loves to play around water. More updates on him with possible photos too. I need to work on my blogging. I also need to brush up on my reading. For now this is to my love- little A. God bless you and Happy 2nd Birthday! Mommy

[aisone]

My little one turned one today!!

This post is a chronicle of his baby days soon to be turned into toddler days. Much to look forward to and much to learn from. All the excitement needs to be put together at one place for him to read some day and possibly relive his younger days when he doesn't know an A from B. And yet he controls our lives with the perfect little smile. Blessings and good wishes to the new turn - his toddler days ahead. Cheers.