Featured

They’ve grown, haven’t they

And the story goes on – welcome to my second life on the blogosphere

I used to write blogs around 14 years back, after delivering my twin boys. Then my daughter was born and I kept writing. And I kept at it for the next 5-6 years consistently and then then intermittently for a few years after that. Somewhere along the line, I forgot I had a blog. It went right out of my line of sight and the chance holiday with my tiny nephew and niece reminded me that I used to write about my kids when they were that small.

So I dug out my old blog and started reading. It was such a joy to go back and relive those moments and remember that I did handle quite a lot, and quite well at that too. Now the kids are grown and all going to secondary. I have the feeling that they’ve nearly left home during the week day evenings. Suddenly, there are no tiny beings clamoring for your attention. No toys around the house. No broken stuff lying around. The house is clean once its been cleaned. The toilet doesn’t stink with misplaced and misdirected attempts.

They are hungry all the time and all I need to do is cook good food. No tiring presuasive attempts to feed them any more. Life has changed dramatically the last couple of years. And I find myself going back to the blogosphere to record it down again. To read in a few years time how it was when the kids being tweens and teens.

We’re in Quarantine

Its day 3 of our 2 week quarantine. On Thursday (19th March) night, my husband got the chills, temperature and a persistant cough. So from Friday onwards, we undertook as a family, to go on a 2 week quarantine.

Day 1 was Friday, the 20th. We tried to quarantine husband in one room..Took his food up to him, and he was too tired and sick to mind being in one room. The kids were brilliant, they did all the up and down runs to fetch him food and drinks. I had to ofcourse, do the cooking, feeding the family and do the office work from home. But we managed without much difficulty.

We however, realized that we were running out of vegetables and fruits. There were no online delivery slots for the next 4 weeks in any of the supermarkets. Luckily, a kind neighbour had sent a note in our postbox a week ago, volunteering to buy groceries in case we were self isolating. We messaged him and then spoke to him on the phone. He was more than happy to do our groceries for us. We sent him a photo of the list and he delivered it to our doorstep. Staying at the end of the road after delivering and gave us a ring to let us know he’s left it. We were incredibly happy and relieved to get these essentials and gave our heartfelt thanks to him, promising him some curry and a good evening once the social distancing is over. We transferred the bill amount to his bank account, thus ensuring a fully handsfree transaction of groceries!

Day 2 was Saturday, the 21st. I woke up, took a shower and was doing my yoga in the living room downstairs when my husband joined me there. He’d had enough of his room quarantine and decided that he was safe to venture out in the house as he was no longer having a fever! Well, you can’t really force someone in a room if they don’t want to go in. So we let him roam around the house, and he was back to his usual activitites. Cleaning the house, helping in the kitchen, cooking etc.

It was a nice sunny day, so I tried to get the children out in the garden for some time. It was a bit of hard work, to be honest. They were in their rooms, either on their rubics cube, or video games, or reading a book. And they seem to prefer that to coming down and spending some family time. Still, managed to drag them into the garden for some time and played badminton, catch etc. for some time. It was all too soon that they decided they’d had enough and disappeared back into their black holes.

I made a veggie and semolina mix for dinner (called kichdi) and husband and I caught up on a movie before going to bed. It was a very relaxing day in all. We haven’t really spent a full Saturday at home as my daughter usually has tennis in the morning and indoor cricket matches in the evening. So, for a change, we were enjoying staying all at home!

Day 3 is today – 22nd March, Sunday. Woke up later than usual, finished yoga and then decided to make brunch today. Husband and I cooked some curries for lunch and we all ate together in the dining table at around 11.30 ish. This is so different from our usual Sundays. We usually are out of the house by around 7.00 AM with a one hour drive to Cheltnam for Criket training. Then straight to county cricket training for my daughter at 11.30, and an hour’s break before dropping the kids for their cricket clucb nets in the evening. Our sunday is usually the day where we get lesser time at home than even week days.

Such a change it was today! After brunch, we spent around half an hour in the sun in the garden. Was lovely to soak in the sun and just sit outside and chat. The kids played some form of cricket for a while. I opened the door of the conservatory and slept on the bean bag for some time ensuring that I was getting as much sun as possible.

Had some coffee and here we are, my daughter and I, sitting in the conservatory. Me writing, and she reading. It has been another nice relaxing day at home. I had been waiting to enjoy the conservatory in the sun and thinking that I hardly ever get to use it. And here I am now, spending a lot of the weekend actually sat in it! The quarantine is giving us different experiences than what we are used to, but as of today, I wouldn’t say that it has been a struggle.

That said, we are running out of milk and bread. We also need some more vegetables and fruits. And have just messaged our kind neighbour if he could get some for us!

More updates from our quarantine tomorrow..

Replay – and we played

So to continue from the last post, we reached Replay at around 6.45 in the evening. Just 45 mins later than when I was hoping to be. But as is usual with the kids, they are laid back and take their time over getting ready. How strange that now we are forever hurrying them on, and later in life, we would advice them to slow down and de-stress. As I write this, I wonder if I should be celebrating their laid backness and rather than impatiently spurring them on? Makes some sort of sense, doesn’t it?

We reached the counter at Replay and realized that all the tables are either reserved or occupied. The last time we visited was on a weekday evening and I was somehow carrying that image of empty tables with me. After having written about it in the last blog, and even tweeted about it, I was already forming the words of an embarrassed post in my mind. But they nicely managed to find us a table downstairs by the TT table and magnetic dart board that we could occupy till 8.30.

I quickly ordered some food and went down to see what the kids have picked up. They started with a game where you need to guess three right answers in 15 seconds. But this was soon discarded for reasons I couldn’t really understand. Twin 2 went to get another one and this time, it looked more promising. Have you come across this game called ‘Concept‘? We took some time to figure out how to play, but once started, it was quickly gripping.

There are hundreds of pictures and some nice colored plastic cubes. All this appealed to me. The game in itself involves you trying to guess the word from the clues placed on the board. The player can only use the pictures on the board to make you guess the word. Interesting.. a mix of pictionary, dumb charades and games of that kind. But slightly more complicated. A good game to spend an evening on, with two teens and a nearly one!

After a couple of rounds of this, we decided by mutual agreement to switch to the magnetic darts. One twin kept longingly looking at the TT table, hoping for the group to move on. But they steadfastly remained there for the entire evening! Twin 1 went and got another game – called ‘Coup‘. Its probably since it was nearly time for us to leave, but we didn’t enjoy the game as much. Twin 1 read through the rules and explained it well, but we just couldn’t see the point of the game in the first two rounds we played. I am sure, had we played it for longer, it would have become clearer and more interesting.

The food we ordered came quite soon, chronologically, just after we spread the ‘Concept’ board. However, I will describe it in more detail in my other food blog.

In all, it was a pleasant evening. A chilled one spent with the kids. On the way back in the car, I was feeling pleasantly alive and alert. A sure sign that I’ve had a good evening with the children!

Replay – that is, play again

Since the kids spend most of their time at home in their rooms, emerging mostly only when its time to eat, I decided to have an evening out with them today at Replay – a board game cafe on Gloucester road in Bristol.

We have been there before, a couple of times. We loved it both the times, once just us, and another time with my office guys. There are quite a number of board games (around 300 or so) to choose from. And surprisingly, some good vegetarian snacks. I will probably write about this later tonight in my other food blog.

Looking forward to an evening where the kids have no option but to talk to us. Ha Ha. They might be clever, but I am devious. I’d rather spend some money taking them out like this, than constantly be at them to keep their phones down and take part in family conversations. They do come down and spend time with us when we play some board games together, or once in a while sit down for some studies. And they do most of the talking during meals, though the food and they tend to disappear at the same time! Getting a whole evening of time with them is something that used to be so common just a few years ago, and now I am having to pay for it…!

So, looking forward to some good family time tonight.. Will keep you posted on how it went.