The Best Birthday Gift Ever

That was what Elena said when we gave her the watch with its entire set of interchangeable straps, dial etc

That got outvoted when Mami sent both girls gift vouchers for the Oxford bookstore.

I too loved the idea because it meant we could delay buying the books till the exams were over.  (Well, I still can’t work/sleep with an unread book at hand so couldn’t expect that from them in any way.)

The exams done with, we finally made the trip and I could see optimization at its best:

Mom what is 65+65?

What if I take another book for Rs 65? How much is left over from 250?

Why don’t you take a St. Clares’ instead of all Secret Sevens?

Oh but I’ll be able to buy only two of them. And will not get anything for the remaining 30 bucks.

(Being Loverna-I obviously don’t offer to pay up the balance)

Oh where did Aurora go?

We found her tucked away between two bookshelves: I finished two fairy stories. I want to read another one.

Mamma, can you please select the books for me?

I shortlist some really fancy collections:

Mamma they are all tooo expensive...

(Can you believe that? So that’s what happens when they spend out of their own kitty!!)

Ok, if you are buying them for us we'll take these two, but they will not be counted. Ok?

Yeah. Ok.

So call me a weak Loverna, but I really couldn’t resist buying some non-counted books for them before I went around “just looking” for some good deals..

We spent just a little more than two hours: Selecting, rejecting, balancing, prioritizing…till we were all finally satisfied.

So what if I ended up spending four times what the vouchers were worth?

It was still the best gift, because it gave me a chance to spend an entire evening with them and with books. To watch them select what they wanted, give up what they could not get, take decisions, and learn a far more important lesson.

For them, it was the best because as Aurora said it, it gave them choice..

Delhi in a Day

Just got back home and here’s Part 1 of my Tales of Three Cities.

I was going for a sleepover at my school-friend’s house. 

My husband had no issues. 

My parent’s were not too happy because it meant one day less at home. 

My kids were wild with reactions ranging from: 

           You are deserting us…

           How can you go to a friend’s house in another city (might as well be                               another planet)….

           Oh, then we can also go…

Being Loverna, I still went ahead.

We were together since we were in 1^st C. Then we went to college in different cities and got to meet only a few times in a year. We used to talk for hours about anything and everything and the world seemed to be so much better after that.

Now we get to meet only in a few years and have to cajole our kids into giving us that time. 

We managed and talked through the night.

It was back to reality in the morning. She had work. I had to do Sarojini Nagar.

As I drove into the areas which had once been home, I was amazed that so much had changed. Relieved that so much had not.

That smooth flyover where they had uprooted the broad shady trees and build giant contraptions (which added some 40 mins to my commuting time for a year while it was being built) was dug around and barricaded all around-again.

Oh. Were they taking out the flyover and planting trees again?

Of course not. This time it was the Delhi metro.

Sarojini Nagar was the same too. Nobody remembered those security cordons and men in uniform who were positioned after the Diwali blast. The same equation held for bargaining through the bazaar (Start at 50% -10% of Original quote: settle at +10% of the same). Shopped to make it last till whenever the next trip happens.

Same story on the way out.

More cars than the widened roads and junction-less crossings could hold. Every driver trying to move into the fastest moving lane at the same time. And the widened roads suddenly narrowing down to one-third leaving the rest for metro construction. In fact I would have missed the bus home had it not been for another friend who honked and knifed and danced through the traffic with the zeal of a true Delhite.

What a city! Everyone from the Pandavas, the Sultans, the Mughals, the British and the Government of India built it up and it is still Chaos who rules.

I was told it will be all spanking clean and organized before the Commonwealth Games start.

Yeah? And then we’ll start preparing for the Olympics?

Bringing up Mother

Can we go for a sleepover?

When the question came out for the first time, I almost reacted like the Father of the Bride when Kimberly announces her engagement! Even Daddy cool didn’t manage a cool reply to that one.

Mean momma that I am, I managed to delay-drag it for a good six months before I knew I had to agree. With craftiness worthy of Loverna, I also coaxed them into inviting their friends for the grand sleepover rather than them going out. Yeah not a great difference, but I still feel somewhat reassured that my babies (I can call them that-they still don’t have this url) are where I can take care of them.

I guess most moms reacted like me (I am not the only mean one) and only one of the invitees turned up with a backpack containing her pajamas, toothbrush, towels and loads n loads of Barbie stuff. Popcorn, a Barbie movie, Pizza and Bed-wow this one wasn’t all that bad.

The predictable the can we go……..question popped up again.

What could I tell them?

No-because you are not old enough? (I can see the reaction to that one)

Or no, because I don’t trust anyone in the worldto take care of you?

Or -because I always want you so close that I don’t think i'll be able to let you go anytime soon?

After dragging it out for another couple of months I had to let them go.

My bit of growing up-------------lots left for me.