December School Pics

Spring Weather Teaser!

Its been sooooo bitterly cold for the past 2 months here. This past weekend, however, was a teaser of better weather to come. We went running in the morning, to the bookstore, picniced at the park - and had major outdoor fun!

Movies Galore !!

One whole Christmas Break week.
One whole Snow week.
School off.
Mama's work not off.

What's a mom to do?

The girls did painting every single day, coloring pages every single day, quiet reading every single day, playdough every single day, music/dancing every single day.

They missed going out though. So I took them to the movie theater. Brinda was super excited and enjoyed both movies. Sudha was super scared and spent the whole movie huddled next to me.

A hilarious movie about a bad guy "Gru" who turns good after he adopts three cute girls.

The last Princess movie - a Disney version of Rapunzel

Family Portrait

Cabin Fever

Cropped up in the house for 4 days straight

I wanna ... wanna .... wanna.... Gimme .. Gimme ...

The only ray of sunshine

Cheer up, Sister Dear

Spreading the smiles around

Snowpocalypse 2011

6inches of snow !!!!! 

Brinda's New Thing - a performance!

Happy New Year

New Year Goals

I did goals last year, and a POA (plan of action) to achieve them.
I met most of my goals.

Following the same plan for 2011.

Fitness Goals:

GOAL	PLAN OF ACTION
Improve my 5k speed from 37min to under 36 by the end of the year. And get to 2:45-2:50 in a half marathon.	·      Continue with the speedwork and tempo runs once a week. They DO payoff. ·      Once a week of weights, and once a week of boxing. Toning up helps speed up too.
Go for the FULL - Chicago Oct 9, 2011.	It seems like a looooong time away. But I AM going to do it (unless I have to go to India during Aug-Oct). I'm going to join a running group in spring and train for it.
Do another Sprint Triathlon without the fear of drowning	I am going to sign back up for swimming lessons to improve my swim speed. I am trying to target the May Irongirl, but that looks doubtful. So August at Acworth. Subject to change though depending on the India trip.

 Personal Goals (These sound more like resolutions ... sigh) :

GOAL	PLAN OF ACTION
Keep that temper in better check. Be a more playful parent.	I need to make sure that I'm hydrated and well-fed. The lack of either makes me behave all barmy.
Run a neater and more organized household - how difficult can that be, eh? Sigh	·      Going to make sure that the kitchen (at the very least) is neat before I go to bed. ·      Big things are picked off the floor in all rooms. ·      Prepare meal plans and be prepared. ·      Keep that TODO list updated.
Be on-time everywhere	·      Leave 20min earlier than supposed to for work/school. Better early than late. ·      Prepare lunches, and put out clothes, etc for the next day so all I have to do is grab and go. ·      Avoid the internet in the morning. The world is not going to burn if I don't facebook in the morning.
See a task to completion - both work and home	·      Little Projects should not be abandoned. I need to do a LOT of work on being positive about things, or atleast projecting a positive image. I keep getting distracted and unless there is something gripping, or something for me to SOLVE, I am not focusing enough. ·      I don't know how to do this though. Maybe remind myself every 30min to focus, or "reward" myself with 5min of time-off every 30min?

My "Just do it" list

• Spend less time on the internet.
• Learn to wear a Sari
• Continue the secret goal from last year ;)

Resolution Run 5k

Race in Pouring Rain

Lining up to race (she's the munchkin in pink jacket and orange shorts). 

Taking off! It was great to see so many kids in pouring rain.
Sudha ran really fast. We were pretty impressed!

With the finisher's ribbon. It was cool that they gave a ribbon to all the kids.

Cheese. Me getting ready for my 5k.

My 2011 time in pouring rain: 37min 08sec giving me a pace of 11:58. Wowzers! 

My 2010 time: 41min 48sec @13:29

I've come a long way.

Revisiting 2010's goals/resolutions

I decided last year that I will not do resolutions. I did goals instead. Revisiting them to see how I did.


Fitness Resolutions
1. Lose the rest of the weight from Sudha's pregnancy (20lbs aka 2-3 dress sizes)
I HAVE lost the 20lbs, although I gave up watching weight mid-way. And yes, down 3 dress sizes too - from 16 to 10.
2. Run a half-Marathon and Complete a Sprint Triathlon
I did both, and survived to tell the story. Have since then completed 2 more half marathons and on course to do some more this year. I'd like to do some more sprints too, but need some more swimming coaching.
3. Eat my veggies, drink my protein and take my vitamins
mmmm ... this has been a yes and no. Getting the Vitamix has helped DRINK veggies .. lol.

Personal Resolutions
1. Be more organized and neat.
Blah
2. "Take care of myself"
yes and no. I do things as I can, but sometimes no time
3. Think seriously about career
I am back and at work, and although I'm not able to dedicate myself as much as I'd like to, I think I'm great at what I do.
4. Temper Temper Temper - lose it! a.k.a Be a playful parent
I'm trying. I'm trying.
5. Something secret ;)
Its gone much better than I expected. 

Santa Visits our House

Santa visits our House

Legos!!

So proud!

My little artist working with her 'Project & Draw' kit.

Sudha chose the Santa hat as a gift for Brinda
(she got me a little travel comb/mirror that is perfect for my gym bag)

A Pretty Pair of Princesses

My 1st Running Anniversary

Today is the first anniversary of my running journey.


Last Christmas Eve, terrified of having signed up for the ING Georgia Half, I laced up and stepped outside my home. I walked/jogged 3 miles and came back excited, but in tears. Excited that I'd just done 3 miles, and in tears because it felt miserable.


I kept at it though, initially to prove a point to Guru. And here I am a year late with 3 half-marathons + a sprint triathlon, still slow but steady; celebrating my my anniversary with a 10 mile run of excitement and joyous tears. :)

The Mystery of Santa

Sudha is intrigued by Santa , the logistics of Santa - how he carries so many toys, how he manages to go to so many houses and how he can go an entire night without sleeping.

So we talk about "The night before Christmas", my version every 20 minutes.
She loves to hear how the Reindeers will eat the "Reindeer food" while Santa comes in and leaves presents for everyone. And since Santa will be tired and hungry, the cookies and hot chocolate will welcome him.

Sudha has already planned all the goodies she wants to make for Santa - Hot Chocolate in the mug that her teachers gave her, cookies from the cookie dough we have, biscotti and chocolate bars from the recipes I showed her.

I have no idea about what's the right thing do with Santa and Christmas. When I'd seen friends do the Christmas tree and all, I'd always said I'd never do it. It wasn't part of what I grew up with and I wouldn't do it. But .. I do it all the same. Seeing the wonder in Sudha's eyes made me realize that it doesn't matter what religion, what faith, what country, what language, what color, what beliefs you have - all kids have the same magical belief in the world.

A Sojourn in New York

Ever get the feeling that a lifestyle/job/action/city... was something that should have been yours? Something about it just woke you up and got your adrenalin flowing? Something that reminded of old times past even though you were not really ever in the old times?

That was me the two days and the one evening I spent in NYC.

Just stepping out of the cab to walk into the Bloomberg office electrified me. A 7am-6pm day that was total information overload drained me; but stepping back into the cold evening air gave me the rush again inspite of a migraine. Meeting an old friend interjected a memorable ... and ... an undefined, yet warm and pleasant quality to the evening. The 2 mile walk through Park Avenue, Trump Tower, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square got me all nostalgic about my Melbourne days.

Did I like my sojourn in NYC? - Yes!
Do I want that life? - 5 years ago, yes ... now ... no, not so much. No, I could not take it.
Do I want something else out of my life? - Yes ... always. But, .. no ... what I yearn for sometimes is not real life. It is stuff that you dream about, but your awake mind realizes that its not practical.

So .... for now .... maybe I'll think about it in my dreams.
Or not.
I like to dream pleasant thoughts :)

The Lost Art of Romance

Two weeks ago, there was a cultural program after which the participants' kids/spouse came up to offer them a rose.
My kids gave me the rose.
One of the other ladies got her rose from her husband. I wished I received mine from my husband too.

Later that evening, I had the rose in my hand and asked Guru to give it to me. He took it, waited some 3 seconds and gave it to me; no words exchanged. I asked him to try once more with a little infusion of romance. He took it, waited and ... said I had windmills in my head while walking away behind one of the kids.

I ranted and raved inside my head. That night. For two nights. For a whole week. I still do.

I miss romance. I miss the little moments of holding hands while waiting in line, the little moments of holding hands while driving, the occasional flowers he used to bring just because, the little gifts he used to bring back when he was traveling, the jokes we used to share, the sunsets we used to watch in our balcony in Melbourne, a lot of things ....

Is he right in saying that kids and work take too much energy and that there is nothing left for romance?
Am I wrong in wanting that extra mile?

Happy Birthday :)

A Small Celebration

Brinda is turning 2 this Sunday, but she is moving out of her class today. So we had a small celebration at her class. I got her a cookie cake and she shared it with the other little munchkins.

Enjoying her cake

Sharing it with her friends - there was perfect silence while they devoured it!

A visit down the memory lane. Sudha turning 2.

Sudha at HER 2-yr celebration at school

The Bedtime Train

Daddy and the girls marching off onto the bedtime train :)

NO. NO. NO.

Brinda's vocabulary has become "No" all of a sudden.

I was wondering about that and then it hit me .... she is turning 2 this weekend !!!!!

The terrible two's are getting here!

Help .......

Before & After - I HAVE to brag

Dec 08 - 203/195lbs

2 weeks after Brinda was born

July 2009 - 185 lbs

6 months after Brinda was born; I had started going to the gym just a month since

November 2009 - 170lbs

(Zumba at Gym for 6 months, 3 days/week)

July 2010 - 155 lbs

Running & Swimming for the past 6 months

November 2010 - 153 lbs, but TWO dress sizes less than 6 months back

Running for the past 1 year

I cannot WAIT to see where my winter strength training lands me after toning up.