50 Fu@k$ to no longer give before I turn 50

Just got tired of all the Fu@k& I have been giving all these while. Turns out, they dont even matter. Like not even those that were so important to me just a while back.  

1. Doing things for appearances sake

2. Saying yes when I want to say no 

3. Keeping my mouth shut when the other person is grossly wrong

4. Completing a book/ article/ movie etc because I started it

5. Reading a message the moment it comes

6. Calling people who don't call because I like to give the respect 

7. Expecting love and respect in return when given 

8. Giving love and respect when none is given to me 

9. Giving loans and believe the loan will be returned no matter whether given to rich/ poor / friend/ foe

10. Eating old food instead of dumping them

11. Engaging with stupid people

12. Being polite when being rude is better for my sanity 

13. Doing things before deadline 

14. Taking meetings/ calls on my holiday esp for non-essential work 

15. Attending all possible meetings, double-booked sometimes

16. Delaying my lunch to accommodate people 

17. Lending my books to people who don't treat books with love and care 

18. Writing for free or exposure -haha 

19. Joy of success - because the last success if too far back, does not matter 

20. Supporting with likes/ 5 stars/ reviews 

21. Accepting friend requests from those who don't speak to me in real life or who keep their profile private and keep a DP which has nothing to do with how they look

22. Grinning and bearing mansplaining

23. Jumping into fights to support those who don't deserve it

24. Waiting for things to happen

25. Carrying on a relationship for the sake of the relationship

26. Thinking of what ifs 

27. Listening to or following unsolicited advice 

28. Dispensing with unsolicited advice 

29. Keeping silent for the sake of peace when insulted 

30. Worrying about the future

31. Cribbing about things outside my circle of control or influence

32. Going the extra mile when the other goes zero 

33. Accommodating the whole world and their uncle except self 

34. Cleaning after everyone

35. Worrying and crying about dying plants. 

36. Cooking the perfect dish 

37. Religion, following rituals 

38. Braggers on social media 

39. Having the last word 

40. Resolving the whole world and their uncle's problems 

41. Attending every function I am invited to 

42. The good old sentence - trust me/ I promise 

43. Guilting about me time

44. Keeping quiet when gaslighting is in full force

45. Patriarchy and those who follow it

46. Trying to follow or go with the plan even when situation changes- it's ok to change it, I have realised because everyone else does it as they prioritise themselves

47. Trying to make conversation when clearly it is heading nowhere 

48. Being so particular about housekeeping that it affects my sanity- I love my little dust bunnies and strips of soft, powdery dust, yay.  

49. Being wrong about / changing my mind about/ failing at something 

50. Praise even when I deserve it - it’s just in the moment. It’s forgotten the next minute. 

Exam woes

Tejas

thought he is running away from competition so he advised nahin bhaago competition se

--

Regards
Riti

muhavare

Teaching muhavare 

Chaadar ke bahar pair pasarna 

Tejas -Oh.  Legs coming out of blanket - meaning garmi lagna

40 things review - because I can't think of 50 cool things to do

http://itchingtowriteblogs.blogspot.in/2008/09/40-point-plan.html

Let us see what I have achieved at 44 

1. Lose excess kilos- I know it is not a SMART goal but then we don't want to announce our weight in public right! STRUGGLING BUT MAKING AN HONEST EFFORT 
2. Travel - atleast 1 country in each continent, Europe  Managed Europe, USA 
3. Try my hand at entrepreneurship- culminating the ideas I have in mind like .....*****censored**** NO
4. Write a book/ story/ publish something atleast and make money out of it YES two children's books, 1 anthology and three counting so far AND 1 Fiction and 1 non fiction.
5. Drive something other than a small car, like, err, a bigger car YES Innova OUTLANDER
6. Become an ace interior decorator for my home and change it's look from its current state of storm ravaged wasteland homely look and get the garden shipshape YES. Not the ace interior decorator but the home and garden dream achieved - YES. REVAMPED MY HOME AND FURNITURE AND I AM HAPPY 
7. Teach/atleast do guest lectures NO 
8. Take a sabbatical NO. Decided that I can't 
9. Highlight/ Streak my hair NO, no hair left to experiment 
10. Take a holiday with my husband (yes, it is a rarity for me- only 1 so far and I am in the 5th year of my marriage) (sob) NO . And I do not mind doing it with kids, 
11. Become an expert cook rather than a random, tentative, no frills cook- develop a fairly extensive repertoire of recipes and menu items (again goal not SMART enough because I really don't know how many I can do but I will know when I am fairly equipped to cross out this item from my list) NO, hired s cook! Never thought six years ago I would do that,
12. Experiment with different cuisines and continue to make them on a regular basis rather than one off kinds NO. The cook makes it
13. Visit my birth place (Scotland) NO, 
14. Start celebrating festivals the way it has to be done setting a good example to the kids . NOT so much. no pressure. ON THE ROAD TO ATHEISM 
15. Buy jewelry for myself (on a regular basis instead of just doing gold coins). YES. Too many
16. Start wearing sari on a regular basis to work. DONE. WEARING WEEKLY AND HAVE A GOOD COLLECTION. AND NOW BLOUSES ATE TOO BIG 
17. Go to theatre/ concert YES YES YES THANKFULLY WITH A GOOD SET OF FRIENDS 
18. Learn Western dance NO
19. Re start music lessons (?) YES. Keyboard
20. Have our own house rather than a poky flat. NO but the house got bigger, so ok. 
21. Change my furniture YES AND MORE YES. DESIGNED AND UPHOLSTERED IN BOLD BY SELF 
22. Institute 5-S in my home - already started the Seiri (Sort & Throw) YES . I THINK YES 
23. Go to atleast 1 or 2 non English speaking country after learning the (basic/ functional) language. Went but never learned the language.
24. Go in a helicopter. NO BUT SAW ONE LANDING AT CLOSE QUARTERS 
25. Learn to Control my Temper. Oh yes. A lot
26. Job related ******censored******. Yes yes 
27. See the Himalayas. YES IN LADAKH
28. Go for a couple massage with Hubby off course . No. 
29. Send my parents abroad.  They are going on their own, they are too independent to be be sent 
30. See the Taj with Hubby & Kids. YES DONE 
31. Travel in Palace on Wheels. no
32. Learn to bake 5 - 10 varieties of cakes. A few yes.
33. Learn 5 different chicken recipes and make them on a regular basis. Yes but the cook makes it, 
34. Restart playing kalaeidoscope. Did a bit, but stopped again
35. Do combined puzzles with the kids (as soon as they are old enough- incl crossword, jumble, kalaiedoscope, jigsaw). Not so much. 
36. Start playing Monopoly & Scrabble with the kids also Carrom (though I am lousy at it). The kids do.
37. Read more authors than the usual  YES A LOT 
38. Visit all the Indian States esp North East, and North- done with Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Gujarat, Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra, Goa...a loooong way to go but kya kare bad luck hi kharab hai. no but took holidays 
digression- I always though I would be taking annual dream holidays post marriage but that has never happened! ADD LADAKH 
39. Get a makeover done and do it regularly- basically be an aunty "maal" - learn how to do a proper make up - get funky glasses, multiple ear rings, no made up look, hair style, eye shadows, eye liners, the works added to my just lipstick look.. Eye liner yes,  CHANGED GLASSES FINALLY. LEARNT TO WEAR DIFF JEWELRY AND ACCESORIZE 
40. Turn 40 in style. Let us see. Doesn't seem to be so much on the agenda now, 

SCORE - 24/35 relevant ones. 

The Mallu jokers

Diwali 2017

Lights to lighten the mood...and light up life

Kids tried very hard for green Diwali, but succumbed to peer pressure.

Made Mysore pak for the first time courtesy SIL

And lots and lots of lamps and floating turtles courtesy Kalakshetra fair
 

Cooking Day

Salads designed by the children

Birthday no 12

We tried a Minecraft cake which was not too kuch appreciated.
Celebration was spread over two days. One day for friends and the real day for family.

Food as usual was pizza and stuff around that- finger food, juice etc

The return gift were pen and Chinese metal puzzles that the children surprisingly liked.

And the kids played dark room. Sigh
I only remember the goggles and laughter and a camradiere evidently visible and palpable. .
Sigh. The boys have grown

Studying Hindi

Teaching Hindi - I explain the meaning of Sri Ganesh Karna -just like how we do Ganesh ji's puja when starting a good thing this muhavara means starting a good work.
Tejas- how about Christians?

Oh and the are not saying the words lakeer ka Fakeer

Double trouble double fun a supermom's guide to raising twins

Buy the book here http://amzn.to/2t19y4L

Welcome to the world of thinking-on-the-feet parenting. A world where questions are answered and answers are questioned, where one day segues into another without a warning sign and where intense exhaustion co-exists with blissful happiness—the true signs of parenting. 
Double Trouble, Double Fun is Riti Prasad's hilarious, realistic and tell-all chronicle of raising twins during their early childhood. She delivers an irreverent insider's account of parenting through a decade that has seen the best and the worst of parenting theories, the boom of internet moms, the battle between working and stay-at-home moms, as well as other parenting after-shocks. 
In her thought-provoking memoir, she questions accepted parenting norms and expectations, struggles to come to terms with the ever-expanding scope of motherhood and races against time to fulfil them. 
Sifting through memories of her parenting tactics and theories, Riti delivers a power-packed punch of a book that negotiates through challenges of pregnancy and parenting, pearls of wisdom, nuggets of humour, screams of frustration, sighs of exasperation and tears of joy and disappointment in equal measures. 
Written through the lens of a career-invested, borderline-workaholic and delegation-savvy mom, this book shares a parenting journey navigating through poopy diapers, potty training, balanced diets, tiring holidays, PTA meetings and workplace triumphs and disappointments.

Title- Double Trouble Double Fun- A Supermom's Guide to Raising Twins 

Author- Riti Prasad 

Publisher- Hay House 

Price-Rs 399

Buy the book here http://amzn.to/2t19y4L