The Rockstar theme ….preps

In the last post, I mentioned that the invites, banner and centerpiece were done and I got down to thinking what else could be done with the theme.
The next thing that I plunged myself into was the Pinata for which the most obvious choice was a Guitar. I had some thermocol sheets lying around so I started working on them.It was a difficult task which I was to find out later as thermocol sheets took a long time and a lot of tape to fix.But in the end, I was quite happy with the result.Next up I shopped for some accessories which would make the party come alive.I was happy to find wigs, masks and fun glasses which went very well with the theme.For a party like this, a Photo Booth was a must. So after a lot of effort I came up with this idea executed with some help from the Hubby.

This proved to be the biggest attraction at the party as children and adults both had a lot of fun getting dressed up and clicked.

At the entrance I  painted two cartons black to make them look like speakers.A red carpet was spread with black star cutouts on it.The month of July is the rainiest month and the day of the party we kept moving things indoors and outdoors again because the rains kept playing truant with us.That is why the stars on the carpet are so weary due to the carpet getting rolled up quite a few times.

I also cut out a lot of musical notes and pasted them on the balloons but couldn’t find a picture at all.

The Party pictures to follow in the next post..

My little big girl enters double digits…

Last month  Munch turned 10!!

Yes, I too completed a decade of motherhood. That called for a big celebration but since Munch was busy with her exams in school we had to wait for another week till we could plan something.So this tenth birthday was planned in a week.We thought of a number of themes and then settled on a Rockstar Birthday Party.Last year she had an Alice in Wonderland theme .

First on my mind was that the invitations should go out as early as possible.Google proves  very helpful when you are in a hurry and it worked for me too.

I quickly designed one with the help of Photoshop and made pink envelopes and used glitter pens to draw a guitar and some notes on it and the invites were ready to go.

Next I worked on a banner to go with the theme and I came up with this.Simple black chart paper cut into circles and printed letters of her name in pink stuck on each made them look like LPs.Easy and Quick.

I made this centerpiece using my junkies and a few cutouts of musical notes on coctail picks.

I was now full on into the theme and trying to follow it to the T..

Will be back with the rest of the preps later..

Till then..would love to know what all themes have you done for your kids birthday parties or do you like to keep it simple.Munch likes to invite her friends and have a party each time so I have to plan something new everytime . Between the two girls each year I feel I am too exhausted but once I begin there is no stopping me.

An emotional overdose.

The Sports Day in school is over.Another major event ticked off the list.The last two days have been eventful and very busy.What with the practices for the upcoming Ladies’ club which we would be hosting next week,the Sports Day practices and Perky’s ill health.

Yes,the evening before her Sports Day,Perk had a bout of vomiting and loose motions along with high fever.I couldn’t take the day off as I was compering the event.So next morning I dressed up a visibly weak looking child and handed her over to the class teacher.I asked her not to participate in the race if she didn’t want to.Perk had continually been winning the race or coming in the second place throughout the heats.It was rather sad for me that she would not be participating in the Final Race.

Anyways,I went about putting my children in order for their events and ultimately headed towards the microphone.The events flew by one by one.Ultimately it was time to announce the race where Perk would have participated.And to my surprise she was right up there in  line with her friends.She hardly had had a bite since the evening before and had thrown up six to seven times.I was all teary eyed when I saw her run at the sound of the whistle.I closed my eyes and said a short prayer .When I opened my eyes once again I saw that her name was among the winners.She had come Third and won the bronze medal.My heart swelled  with pride.I hugged and held her close as soon as I was free.Words failed me and instead tears rolled down my cheeks..Seeing me Perk asked,”Mamma,I know you are not happy because I did not come First.”

“Not at all Darling.I am proud that you went up and ran the race.”

These little moments remain etched in your heart forever and I am currently having an overdose of them.

How I want my girls to grow up?

I ask myself this question a thousand times over.What do I expect from them?  Am I a good mother to my daughters?Yes,I think I am.

I do not follow any rule book on parenting,I haven’t read any till date.My kids are my kids.I raise them the way I want to.Nothing or nobody has the right to dictate or teach me on how to raise my girls.There is no right or wrong way of raising kids.But how you raise your kids in their growing up years definitely decides what kind of person they grow up to be. I want to bring up my daughters to be good human beings first and foremost.I do not understand or appreciate the modern concept of being your child’s best friend.I am happy to be their mother and that’s what I shall be.I am entitled to scold them,tick them off,punish them,even scream and shout when the need arises.That doesn’t mean in any way that I do not love my girls.They are my life but I am there as a mother in their lives for a purpose. And my purpose is to raise grounded and wonderful people.I am there to bring out the best in them.Somewhere down the years,after they cross their teens ,I am sure they would understand that those moments hurt me too.That all those reprimands were not without reason.

Another concept that I strictly disagree with is that if your child is not tech-savvy or cellphone friendly,he or she would not fit into this world.Excuse me!I would rather my daughter reel of names of flowers or trees as she goes with me for a walk.I would rather she sits in a corner holding a book in her hands than play some meaningless games on a Tablet.We didn’t have such gadgets in our growing up years and we did just fine without them,No,my girls do not need to know about Facebook or Twitter.I would rather take them to a zoo or a park rather than while away their childhood walking through malls.I would appreciate if they could just sit down and make a card for their grandparents or write a letter to them instead of sitting in front of the computer.They will have enough of screen time later on in life.Just not now,when I have the privilege of raising them according to myself.

I enjoy every moment I spend with my girls and I hope and pray that they feel the same about me,if not now,then probably when they grow up.The day I realise that my job as a mother is over would be  the day when I would relish being their best friend with whom they can share all their secrets and stuff!

Popcorn,anyone?

Its been one of those super busy days….with not a minute of rest.So I’m up at this hour just so I don’t give up on the marathon so early.

Perky had a fancy dress competition in school and I found I had not yet blogged about it.And guess what?She went dressed up as Popcorn!

Does she look cute?

Upbringing..the Army way

“It is one thing to be born, and quite another to be born into the Army.”

Yes,I think Munch and Perk are very lucky to be born into this lifestyle.

They are brought up in a protected environment yet they grow up strong and fiercely independent.The Army does play a major part in giving our children the right perspectives eventually in life!Our Cantonments enable a cosmo upbringing within small and lesser known towns.The facilities of swimming pools,gymnasiums,basketball  and badminton courts,golf courses and firing ranges, which might be a luxury in civil life are readily and freely available to our kids.

Our children learn to cherish and forge their bonds of friendship quite early in life.They make friends easily wherever they go.What with far off postings,pressing worries during border unrests,waiting for the call from Papa or even the constant shifting,I think when they grow up they will be ready to handle all kinds of pressures.

here,I must add,that in the Army we give our children the best but we can never go overboard.We  have to watch out on budgets since we live by a fixed salary.For me this has been a blessing in disguise for I already see Munch understand the value of money. Munch has already changed five schools in 7 years.But I have noticed with each passing year she has become more  aware,more confident and adaptive.

Settling in a new house after every two years in places that are poles apart gives them an opportunity to learn different cultures.Army kids grow up like a banyan tree with their arms spread far and wide and their roots strongly bonded to Mother Earth.Isn’t this the way we want our kids to be,smart and modern yet very Indian?

And are they smart?My four year old knows that a silk saree and a lounge suit on the bed is a hint that it was going to be one happy evening with Mom and Dad away for a formal gathering.The disciplined Army life inculcates the basic mannerisms and correct body language in them.Its amazing to go on your evening walks and to see little toddlers on their cycles wish Good Evening everytime they meet you.Or watch the little prince and princesses eating with perfect table manners!

And not to forget the perks that they enjoy as military kids,the firing practices,the elaborate ceremonies,admission to visit places that may not be open to civilians and the list goes on.

The ethos and traditions of this wonderful organisation gets passed on from one generation to another  and I hope to see my little brats transform into responsible citizens of the country,

I am thankful to the Army for its immense contribution to the upbringing of my children and one day I am sure they will proudly  say,”We were born into the Army,so we are different”.

Dress up!

On Friday,Perk’s school sent a notice for all children to be dressed up as trees the following day!Living in a guest room with not too many resources and having all my stuff packed in boxes gave me jitters.I calmed myself and started working on the basic things I would need.I bought some chart paper ,paints(green and brown),coloured paper and hard board and of course,the handy Fevicol.

I first created a sort of top which I could put over her T-shirt and used the paints to make a bark and some branches.I also cut out some green leaves.Then I made the head gear so that only her face could be seen.The chart paper was backed by some light cardboard for this.Some leaves and a few colourful birds later ,my costume was ready.I even taught her to say a few words in keeping with her costume,”Birds are my friends.I am home to many Birds.”I punched a few holes on the side of the shirt and wove ribbons around them so that it stayed in place.

Time for new beginnings..

The family is now slowly settling down in the new location.We are now in the capital of one of the newer states of India ie Jharkhand.Yes,we  have moved to Ranchi.

The girls have both got admissions into schools of my liking.While Munch’s school is a bit far off and she is now home by only around 4 ,I have put Perk in one which is quite close by.This is the first time Perk would be going to school on her own as till now I have been accompanying her.I also feel the void of not working anymore but I would like to wait for some more time before I decide to pick up a job.The previous school which Perk went to had no uniform ,so this is the first time she put on a uniform to school.And she was so proud of herself.

And ta..da..right behind her is our first purchase from the city..yes!..a bunk bed  for the sisters..Do you like it?I love it..love the fact that I was able to get something which was not pink  yet girlie.

Linking this to Colours Dekor

The Month gone by..

After a break of a few weeks,I am glad to be back again.I missed you all…and would be visiting you soon.

August had really been a hectic month.The last day of July brought with it the news of our posting and with it a whole lot of decisions and planning.The most important of them being whether to shift the children in mid-session.But the very idea of waiting till the session ended ie another six months was rejected by hubby as he did not want the separation to continue any longer.Hence,I plunged myself into sorting,throwing,donating and finally packing things I actually needed.At moments like these, one really feels how much stuff is unnecessarily accquired and never used.

Amidst the chaos and confusion,Munch continued her school and even appeared for her unit tests,my parents stood like pillars taking care of the children while I packed box after box .

Rakshabandhan was celebrated when Munch and perk tied each other Rakhis..store bought..no time to make one..

The day finally arrived when Munch had to say goodbye to all her friends and move ahead,The way they hugged and kissed made me teary eyed as I never had to leave my school friends until we all left the school together and even beyond that our friendship continued as some of us joined the same college.But my daughters I think will grow into stronger personalities by the end of it all.I am still a very soft person and cling on to relationships and friendships.

I wish all her friends the very best.They were all very dear to me and hope they meet again.

Then the day where the truck was loaded and I squeezed in the last of my potted plants till I was satisfied that I couldn’t fit in any more..we said tearful goodbyes to our neighbours of three years.The most difficult part was bidding adieu to family..most of all Ma and Baba who were my strength and my support throughout this phase.They literally did more than I ever could or would do for my kids.I know we will all settle down into our new lives,the kids have already settled down and are liking the new environment but we have created a void in those old hearts I know…and they will take much longer to accept the fact that their granddaughters are no longer with them.I know they couldn’t have got better love and care and I will forever be greatful for that.

Perky talk…

Perk:Mamma ,can I watch TV?
Me:OK
She rushes into the TV room with Dadu’s tab in hand.
Me:Why are you taking the Tablet with you?
Perk:Mamma,I will play this when the ads are on!!
This is what happens when mamma is super busy packing up the house.This little one has grabbed the golden opportunity and she has her hands full indeed.