First day : Group 5, Group 2 ,at the gastouder, and mama back to work

We have have been getting into the routine of getting back into routine. With a 7 week summer holiday, things can get out of routine. Very soon.

The boys went back to school two Monday ago. Benjamin in Group 5 and Elijah in group 2. Benjamin came back that afternoon and said , it was all exciting in the beginning. And then after a couple of hours it got hard, as they already started with work. He wasn't too keen on working right after holidays.

Elijah was his usual self , slipped right back into where he left at school before the summer. And he likes his new teacher.

It was also a first time for David to stay away from me and with someone else. A complete stranger. His gastouder. In the Netherlands there is an option other than daycare, where there is a sort of smaller daycare at houses of registered carers.They can only have 5 kids at a time. And not 5 babies definitely. But different age ratios. Gastouder loosely translates "Guest parents". And this one is a 2 min walk from home. I was an emotional wreck leaving him there for the 2 hours I was away,  getting back into work. He survived. Thankfully I have only 4 hours of work at the moment. And that gives both David and I to get used used to being away from each, new carer, and me getting used to working again. I clearly needed help as I forgot how to beep my self into school at the gate. And I am sure I have forgotten a few names of teachers.

New beginnings!

India Trip 2015

As usual a trip to India isn't for holidaying. Its usually filled with weddings and meeting family and friends. It isn't a typically scene of resting and feet up in front of the back waters or in a house boat. Its the mad rush of shopping, visiting, wedding parties and breaking an every year record of how many can get in a car. Stressful? Yes, but absolutely fun, and in the DNA of an Indian. A holiday in India isn't complete without all these. 

We took off for our first trip with David a few days before school closed for Big One and Big Two. We were quite anxious how David would feed and be in the long journey towards Trivandrum. With a very short transit time at Abu Dhabi, we missed our connecting flight to Trivandrum from there. We decided it was best for all of us to have that break in Abu Dhabi and catch the flight the following day.  It was an all paid stay for a day outside the airport in a great hotel with all the yummy food . A great preparation for our gastric systems as we embark on an all eat out for the month. Even though being there during  the month of Ramadan, food was available for us in the hotel. If I remember right, the kids have been eating lamb biriyani ever since we stepped out of the Netherlands. They were in biriyani heaven. We didn't have to step out of the hotel and could take the connecting pass from the hotel to the mall next door. We were shopping for swimming trunks for the boys. They were more expensive than back in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, we bought them and the kids and Bobby enjoyed themselves swimming at the pool with the Arabian beach as their backdrop. 

Meeting Sherin and her family

We reached humid Trivandrum , and all the frenzies began.  Starting with my cousins engagement party, visiting old friends from Manipal and Eindhoven in Ernakulam and visiting the famous Lulu mall. That mall had so much people on the escalators and outside stores than inside them. There was Rolex, Swarovski , Branded stores like Tommy Hilfiger , Mango, All the famous gold stores and elite boutiques. Then there was McDonalds and other food courts. There even was theatres and kids entertainment centre with roller coaters and other rides. the parking and traffic just to get in and get out was out of this world. And we those first day of Eid to shop!

Lisa's Wedding

A few days in Changanaserry and a trip in between to Trivandrum for David's baptism made our 3 hours traveling in between a piece of cake. David's baptism went well and surprisingly had a completely revamped liturgy. I remembered for Benjamin and Elijah's baptism , even though it was a baptism , the service appeared to be more of a thanksgiving /dedication type , which I was happy about. But this time, there were highlights about infant baptism being the right way and people might say various things about it. Basically, it wasn't a thanksgiving/dedication feel to it at all. Lets leave it there.

The Rajagiri cousins 

Festivities continued with my cousins wedding, my dad in India for 3 days only, cousins , aunts and uncles also having a flying visit. It all went too quick  and hurried. I hardly got a chance to spend time with them, let alone talk to them for more than 30 minutes. My dad, brother and his wife left the same day after the wedding. The house was empty suddenly. And we left back to Trivandrum too. Preparing ourselves for Bobby's brothers wedding coming up in 5 days. Those 5 days was a bit more relaxed and we got to do our things too in between. Staying in Bobby's home was fun with 5 grandkids, and that too 5 boys in the house. A full house with fun , babies crying, adults chatting , kitchen working continually.  

The wedding was wonderful and we welcomed our new sister in law into our family. They were there with us after the wedding until we left . It was wonderful to get to know her even more. 

The day we were leaving we asked our kids  how they felt about going back. Benjamin was ready to come back and Elijah was ready to start school and live in India with his grandparents. I can speak for David and say he was ready to come back to Eindhoven too. 

As always, a month in India is always filled with weddings and meeting friends and family. The rush , the busyness, the tiredness, the shopping, is all worth it!

My yearly homage to Pongal, Lays Tomato tango chips,and Egg puff. A holiday is never complete without these.

The new couple

A few "EPIC" things I forgot to mention , because of writing at 12:30 am are the cricket matches and badminton games at Changanserry.

Visiting Bobby's sisters and brother in laws new home.

And Mummy's (Bobby's mothers sister) grand lunch party with her newly famous falooda. Its got all of wanting to make that now.

Five minute Friday: Tomorrow

Linking up from this weeks five minute Friday on  the word: tomorrow

I usually start the day off  by putting it into His hands and especially for a good peaceful day  with the kids . But that doesn't get me off the hook by saying the first thing that comes out of anger . My oldest, though only 8 have entered this pre teen sort of stage containing all the dramatics . A few preteen sparks sometimes fall on the  5 year old too. I start off with a calm sweet voice , carefully wording my requests and as I pat myself on my back for the job well done , at the corner of my eye I see this eye rolling and mouth  mimicking my request . I can feel my blood simmering and I turn the flames down. Stern but gentle words are carried around the room. Then another pre teen symptom shows its face :   whinnitis. When ones voice changes into a low  pitch  , dragging utterance of words accompanied by spot jogging sort of movements as if one's feet is on hot coal . "But I don't want to do it." " Why can't he do it ?". " You always ask me to do it ."" I don't like this ".

I blame them for turning up  the flames. By now I am move from simmering to boiling . No other liquid reaches its boiling point so quickly  , metaphorically speaking . With threats flying around the room, negotiations being drafted , and both parties claim the " I walked out first " card. After an exhausting few minutes of the this discourse  I already regret the words I said . Ms.Pity comes out to do its job of justifying. A few chocolates does its job of cooling down , and adding to the width. And both of us have no idea , how to go back and apologize and make things right . 

The 8 year old goes to bed angry and refuses to  kiss goodnight or let alone say goodnight . Nothing good about the night yet. I remind him about how it's not good to go to be angry . One must indeed practice what one preaches .

I shut the door , sigh on yet another epic failure in parenting. Asks God's forgiveness and promises I will do better, tomorrow . There is always tomorrow to start again .

STOP

Five Minute Friday :Good

Back on the horse with Five minute Friday. The prompt is GOOD.

GO

God is Good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

I remember the first time I heard this and said this, in my church back home in Kuwait. Pastor Jerry used to say this all the time, not because it was a new catchy Christian phrase, but he truly meant it. It was evident in his life and in the life of the church.

God has been good even before I knew it. His goodness has seen me through the past so many years. From getting me through school, university, helping me choose the right life partner, pregnancy, delivery and 3 amazing boys. 

When life brings its challenges I usually, only , see those challenges. The good things He did, fades off in the background. Its like a sight issue... things in front begins clear and those behind gets blurry. 

So, the only way to get my vision in the right order was to switch. Good things in the front and challenges at the back. Keeping my eye focussed on gratitude and thanksgiving (do these words mean the same or are they different?). That was the foremost way for me to get on the path He wants me to. Once I am there, Scripture and loading the doubts and fears on Him follows. 

Sounds like a good sound plan. But its a challenge in itself to keep that "good plan". He mostly provides strength for that too. Did you think you could do anything in your own strength? Kiss that good bye! 

His strength, His way , His plan. Now that sounds good.

STOP

From then till now

After a long break, and after weeks of thinking to start again, till framing the post in my mind, I finally open a page to write. Since the last post in the beginning of October, a lot has happened. 

David George Daniel , our third son was born on the 21st of October, 2014. After a  3 day stay in the hospital to clear up the meconium aspiration, we came home. Two weeks, of experiencing a newborn and feeding brought back wonderful memories of our other two boys and David formed new experiences. We were back in the hospital with not enough weight gain and fast breathing which did not return to normal after our first discharge. Suspecting a heart issue, we were admitted and a NG tube was fixed to ease his feeding and to gain weight. The next week were filled with tests, and everytime they suspected something big, he was tested and then it was all normal. And then they found something in his brain which required us to go to another specialized hospital for the MRI. Our world was shaken.That trip in the ambulance was one of the many horrible experiences. Once the MRI was done, which was by no means just a test. He needed anesthesia, and it was an hour long MRI. Being a Friday we weren't even sure if we would know the results. And waiting a whole weekend , anxious and in pain was unbearable. Thankfully, after an hour or so, the neurologist came and gave us the news that everything was clear, and what they saw in the other hospital was probably an artifact. Bobby and I just broke down.Too overwhelmed for words, the doctor said he wanted us to know this and would discuss the details after the weekend.The following week, they were ruling out one thing after another. After the NG tube was put he just somehow stopped drinking from me or the bottle. End of the week we returned home and we were once again a family all under one roof. My mother was able to extend and stay until we got back, which proved to be of such a big help , for Benjamin and Elijah to have their usual routine of school and other activities.

When he turned 4 months old

I have summed up our two long weeks in a paragraph , but it has been too traumatic to write more. Even through this difficult time, God sustained us and provided healing for him one after the other. I am sure whatever these experienced senior doctors saw was there. And in time to confirm or label it, God wiped away any sign of harm in him. The support in prayer and people being there at the right time was God orchestrated. 

For the next few months, God healed him as much as he was healing us. It took a while for me to be "unstuck". I felt as though I was still in the first month. It took a while for me to regain my confidence in getting out other than church and school drops and pickups with David .

I have a habit of journaling and writing down prayers and things I would like to receive from God, for me and for other friends and family. And when they are answered, I highlight them. The list of healing I wrote for David is slowly filling up with more highlighted parts. 

Cheeky 5 month old David

Throughout , the only thing He asked me to do was "give thanks". Thats was a tall order to be expected from me , but with every small weight gain, with every smile, every spoon or sip he took, I learned to "give thanks". I learned to give thanks for the things He is yet to answer.

As the promise He gave my mother says " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17" , David is indeed that good and perfect gift.

Having fun with his brothers

With my family for his thanksgiving service

Benjamin's first Mini Marathon (And Bobby's too)

This morning Benjamin ran his first Marathon. His first Mini Marathon (2.5 km) in the Eindhoven Marathon.

He trained with his football team  for the past few weeks. Bobby also trained with him. there were just 3 other children from his football team. But he was excited and motivated to do it.

Among the thousands of people that ran just the Mini Marathon , Benjamina and Bobby ran , after a fun kids oriented warm up session with music and dance.

In 14 mins and 45 secs they completed the 2.5 km Mini Marathon.

Perhaps , next year they will train for the 5 km.

Proud you Benjamin.... and Bobby too!

Watch the video to the beginning of the Marathon.

http://bjd.smugmug.com/Family/2014/i-K7mZwTM/0/O/IMG_6708.jpg

The numbers and the name

Just before the race

The Football team

The rush

Key supporter

Getting ready for the start

The runners with their medal

Day 6: Managing mountain of clothes

Kids grow up so fast, sometimes I end up having clothes of different sizes in a drawer. Up in the attic I have boxes designated for different sizes.



Whatever fits in a box , stays for that size. Whatever is faded, frayed, worn enough and not worth it to pass on to the next boys, is put in a bag for the charity, or dumping clothes in the cloth bin. Same goes for shoes too.








To keep in check, for those small clothes that go back in the drawers, it's

 a good idea to sort them out in the wash itself. Once washed and ready for folding, its a good idea to check them for size and separate them immediately.


It is a constant process of sorting clothes and having just the right size, and the ones that kids will wear. This helps kids to also independently choose their own clothes without you telling them its too small, or hearing them say they don't like a particular one.