Kutcheri Season - Sudha Raghunathan

Sudha was disappointing. She killed the start by reading the theme of the concert from a piece of paper. It wasnt a difficult theme to recite. She was going to sing Oothukaadu VenkataSubbaiyer songs. As though it is so tough to say that in layman terms. Anyways, i knew most of the songs that she had chosen, but she dint sing it in the ragas we are familiar with. Her rendering was sub par. Her voice is still lovely, but i wish she wouldnt try something different and spoil the fun. Sorry Sudha fans - i dont mean to be cynical. This is just my opinion and i am disappointed because i was really looking forward to listening to her sing. Especially OVS songs. Hmm! never mind. 

Mom's the word

Well, all moms know that motherhood is demanding and beautiful at the same time. Being a mom is a tough task and being a good mom is a tougher one. But i think, just as babies should not be compared with another, moms must not compare themselves to other moms.

Moms i have met recently somehow want to feel that they have been a better mother. Well, there is no comparison here. Each of us have our own way of handling our babies and we do what we think is best for them. I dont see a right or wrong in this. I believe that each baby is unique and that there is no steadfast rule in bringing them up. But most mothers i meet have to offer - " why r u doing this? shouldnt u be giving him this food instead of that? why r u using the pacifier? i cant understand what this complex is all about? Excuse me - pls let me handle my baby. 

What bugs me most is that when u have a genuine concern and u need advice, no one has anything worthwhile to offer. Bugs me totally. Unsolicited advice is not welcome. 

If these are one type, type 2 consists of people who are on the other end. The " i think you are being overprotective" types. 

I hope these people one day understand that motherhood is not about a competition on " who's the best mom'. All of us need our space and at the end of the day, its only our baby that rewards us for being a good parent. Noone else does, noone else really cares. 

I am not a perfect mom, but i am a good one and strive to get better each day as my baby and i grow together. 

Books

I usually dont forget the books i read. But with so many things on my mind these days, i dont want  to forget anything. Notes on some books that i have read lately:

Between the Assasinations by Aravind Adiga

Its an ok read. A collection of short stories set in a fictionary town called Kittur between the assassination of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The author’s imagination is good in the sense that he describes the town beautifully. But i should have known – ‘never judge a book by its cover’. I was expecting some major thriller going by the title. But alas! Well, one would expect some link between the assassinations, but no. And I wonder why the author chose an unhappy setting for each of the stories.

The Riot by Shashi Tharoor

I liked this one. The book is about – democracy, communal clashes, insane religious fanatism,  love, betrayal, commitment, power, what not. Set in a communally sensitive region in India, the story revolves around a cross cultural love affair that ends in a rather tragic way.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

One of the best books that i have read in recent times. Totally loved it. Just couldnt guess what was coming next. So much research has gone into the medical and legal terminology. The characters in the story seem so familiar and are easy to relate. Sometime in our life, we have been through the same situations, the same emotions presented in the story. The mother’s character can stir a lot of criticism, but towards the end, one is able to emphatise with her. Some quotes that i liked from the book -

” Doubt thou that the stars are fire; Doubt thou that the sun doth move; Doubt truth be a liar; but never doubt that i love” –  William Shakespeare

“Who we are isnt so much about what we do, but rather what we are capable of when we least expect it”.

” One fire burns out another’s burning; one pain is lessened by another’s anguish” – Shakespeare quotes, used in this book.

Becoming Mom

I am a mom. I have a baby boy – 7 months old.  

Well, this was not how i intended to start my blog.  I wanted to write about a lot of other things. But i guess the baby always comes first.

7 months have zoomed by. Life has changed so much. There is always something to do. From washing baby clothes, folding onesies, changing diapers to making baby food, nursing, spending sleepless nights. This is a full time job, most often i work overtime. But i get paid with the most beautiful toothless grins and a soul that thinks the world of me.

Parenting advice- there is always so much that people have to offer. But i have learnt that no theory holds good when it comes to babies. Sid has his own way for certain things and i have to discover ways to handle him. A baby at six months old is supposed to sleep through the night. I would have loved it if it were to happen. I still wake up every 2 hrs in the night. But i am not complaining. All the weariness in the morning vanishes when he gives me his best smile and says “amma”. The baby that cries otherwise is happy the minute he sees me.

Well, i love being mom- i love being his mom. i know there will be a time when he will be on his own and wont need me as much – so i relish every moment I have with him now and secretly wish that these moments last forever. Dont grow up baby…be the sweet little momma’s boy in my arms forever!

Fun with photos

I have a passion for photographs. Whether i like to click photos or not, i love playing with pictures. especially with a tool like picasa, i freak out.

Recently a friend shared a website with me which lets you have more fun with your photos. Its an excellent website - www.photofunia.com. One thing led to another, and i am now spending all my time looking for more things to do with photos. The kind of things one can do is absolutely amazing.

This and That

Time is flying by and before i know, my little boy is going to be three months old. Amma has gone back to chennai and now its family time until the next set of grandparents come. Well, the days are mostly busy - cooking, being with Sid, cleaning etc etc. Its good to be busy though. Ug's been home too - working from home a couple of days and then we had the long weekend - so good fun. We have become so lethargic these days - dont know how we will cope in a busy set up! Funnily, our boy is just like us. Change his regular routine or just change the position in which he is and he doesnt like it.

We went to " Picture People" last week for a photo shoot. Ended up with four pictures this time. Sid looks adorable in these pics. we are running out of real estate to put up these pictures now.

I have been trying a lot of new recipes. Found a new site - www. myrecipes.com. It has different cuisines which are fun to try. Talking about food, i have to make a mention of my manga pachadi. Ugen loves it so much that he eats curd rice just for this. I once used to make little just for myself coz i loved it- but now i make loads coz ugen loves it.

Nothing much to pen otherwise. rest in next. So long until then - cya!