SUPER cleaning week....

After a week of fever, we had a relatively good weekend. Thank goodness for that. Because we had no idea what was in store for the following week.

The daughter had been complaining about an itchy scalp for several days now. Blame it on my work travel and the bout of fever with both kids, I did not pay more attention to it until the weekend. I oiled her hair, washed it, but on Monday, she still complained. So Monday night, I checked her hair and found some nits. I thought she must have just caught it from school and spent some time removing them. But on Tuesday morning, I spotted a lice (yes, the dreaded SUPER lice) in her hair while combing, and that's when I realized the problem at hand is more severe than I was imagining.

I subsequently found nits in my hair, and my son's hair, and loads of time was spent on the internet trying to figure out how to best address the issue. I decided to get rid of it the same day, and called a local lice lady who uses all natural methods - yeast spray, essential oils, and a fine nit comb, to get rid of them in a 1-hour session. She comes to your house and does it, and she agreed to visit us on Tuesday evening. So for about 3.5 hours that day, all four of us took turns with her, and participated in "Operation Lice Removal". I am happy to report that the operation was a success :)!

Once our heads were clear, we turned to disinfecting our home. Thanks to our super awesome maid, we got the floors, bathrooms, carpet and tile, toys, sofas, etc done in one visit. We changed out the sheets in all rooms, vacuumed the dining chairs, carseats and rugs, threw the combs and hair ties in the freezer, and washed the jackets and clothes worn in the last couple days in hot water and dried them in high heat. It was a mammoth task, but it had to be done, and it is done now. Phew!!

The nit comb - I bought two of them by the way - is my new best friend now. All the way until children are in high school, I'll have to follow a prevention routine to ensure we don't have to tackle this kind of a mess again.

Lice love clean hair - they don't get onto heads that are not washed for several days, or on heads that have products on them. The husband dyes his hair and he came through clean. So, it's not really a taboo or a hygiene issue if you get lice. I reported the incident to both the kids schools without any shame.

This is also a month of finances. We have taxes to file, a home refinance to consider, and investments to look at. Add to that our summer travel plans and visa procedures, we are overwhelmed.

Sometimes I feel, I have very little time, outside of my daily routine, to devote to tasks that are really important. For example, investments. I keep procrastinating, and I would love to be a bit more savvy and proactive on that front. Exercise has been another thing that has always gotten the last priority. The only thing I do for myself without compromising on a regular basis is reading.

And then I also think: I have a good amount of savings. What if I quit my full time job and found something else, part time. Something that would keep me challenged, and left me more time to do things I really love to do? Like not having kids in school all day, and spending the late afternoon with them, exercising and going for runs, learning an instrument, have more time for parents and family, travel whenever kids are on break, have a less stressful routine life where I could enjoy the cooking, and play time, and can do the chores at a leisurely pace, be able to read when I'm fully awake, vs when eyelids are half closed, and so much more.

Something has to change. How, when, what? I need to figure it out.

A moment of McQueen happiness....

Whenever I travel for work, the kids ask me to bring them back something. It's usually something very small, sometimes just a chocolate chip cookie for both, but however small the gift, it's the thought that their mommy missed them, and brought something for them, that they care about.

Until last year, I would never discuss my travel plans with them. It upset them quite a bit, knowing I would not come home from work at night. But starting this year, I tell them way in advance where I'm going.

I traveled to Arizona this week, and the son kept asking me to bring him a McQueen T-shirt. He's been asking for it since days, and I decided to order a 3-pack from Amazon before I left so that it would arrive (hurray, 2-day prime shipping) by the time I returned from Arizona.

The day I got back, I got a call from his preschool right around lunch that he had a fever, so I picked him up and brought him home. Just as I was settling him in bed for a nap, the doorbell rang, and I told him his t-shirts would have arrived. He said did u bring them from Arizona? I said I ordered them from Arizona and they came in the brown truck. To say he was delighted and thrilled to see and wear them is an understatement. He must have said "thank you mamma" zillions of times, and so many other feel good statements. He was so excited that he could not sleep until 4pm, and was wearing a huge grin on his face all afternoon long.

He's home today with me, down with fever, but you can hardly tell he's sick. He LOVES spending time with me at home, especially when his sister is in school, coz then he gets undivided attention. He's sporting another one of his McQueen T-shirts today....and he is very, very happy.

Money can't buy everything, but if a cheap $5 t-shirt can bring my sick son several days of happiness, it sure is worth it.

It's been a fever filled week, so I'm ready for the tide to turn now. The daughter had fever since Saturday, and she missed school for 2 days while I was gone. Now the son is down, and our beloved nephew is down with fever as well. On one hand, these are routine common illnesses which go away soon, so I'm really grateful for that. On the other hand though, it takes a toll on us parents when both are full time professionals, and we don't have any family to help us during such times.

Hoping for a healthy weekend....

Conversations

The daughter and I happen to have our most intense conversations during the early morning drive to school everyday.

These days, she's always bringing up death. And God. These two topics always throw me off. Unlike Sriram, who quite enjoys talking about death, I don't :(.

One day, she asks me: "what if someone loses their daddy? how would they live? then they would only have mommy, and brother, in the house, and no daddy, ever". Thank goodness she stopped there and didn't talk about our Porry (that's what my kids call their beloved daddy).

The other day: "do people come back after they die? where do they go when they die?"

And then today: "mumma, have you been in a storm? like when the sky falls down, and lightning comes? how would you save yourself from dying?"

And then, I must have told her, maybe more than once, that God is everywhere, and that God is within you. That has struck a chord in her brain.

So I constantly get questions like...."Is God in tires? Is God in stores? Is God in trees? Is God in flowers? Is God in our body, where in our body?"

Both kids are often found arguing about God as well. The younger one is mostly following what his sister says. And he isn't shy relaying that information to his friends in school. I often get questions from his preschool friends at pickup time on whether God is in their montessori jobs, or backyard slides :).

So far, I've done quite a poor job in handling these questions. But as kids are growing up, I need to be prepared for meaningful conversations around these topics.

This post has been lying in the drafts folder since a couple of weeks now, so I'm not going to drag anymore...I'm publishing it as is. That's how it's been with blogging lately - so many thoughts come up, and being spread thin + scatter brained, those thoughts don't make it here as a coherent post.

An award and 15 year anniversary!

The daughter got an award this morning at the School Assembly. It was for showing "Confidence and Kindness" through the school year so far, particularly in the month of December.

As her mother, I am proud of my child in every way. But her behavior with us at home or in social situations is very different from school. She comes across as a very reserved person. And she is a true introvert. It took her a couple of months to start showing her true personality to her teachers. And I love how they have picked up on her confidence, especially when they see that brilliant smile that lights up her face when she is proud of something she has accomplished.

She has always been a compassionate person from within, but we did not see her exhibit that trait to other people. To animals, yes. To the garden, yes. To other humans - rarely. I take the example of our son, her baby brother, and up until a few months ago, she would tolerate him, at best. The switch has flipped now, and she is his biggest advocate. She is extremely possessive about him, and is full of compassion for his terrible 3's which drive us all crazy. To see that she is being recognized for being kind to all her friends in school too makes me very happy!

I also celebrate my 15 year anniversary at Intel today. Yes, it's been that long a journey - from a grad intern to a server memory architect....always challenging, always fun! I was thinking if I've ever felt like I was stuck in a rut, and at times, maybe I did, but I don't think Intel has anything to do with that feeling.

The opportunities are limitless within our large company, and now, more than ever before, they are encouraging women to do whatever we desire and choose to do. The flexibility is available as well, to work part time, reduced hours, work from home, request for zero to very little work travel - and barring a few exceptions here and there, it's truly a Great Place To Work!

It's a happy day, and it's a Friday - can't wait to celebrate tonite with the family!

Happy New Year 2016

Hello Hello!!!

Wishing you all a VERY Happy New Year!!!

How were the holidays? Hope you all enjoyed some quality family time, and/or had time for yourself. I know some of you took vacations and I hope your travels were fun.

Sorry for the disappearing act last month. I was hoping to write a lot more than I did, but for some reason, whenever I sat to pen down things, I lost my motivation to write. I just wanted to read, read, read and so that's pretty much what I did during all my spare time.

We took a week long vacation to the Palm Desert in Southern California. From hiking in the snow at an altitude of 9000 feet with snow gear and a sled, to off-roading in a hummer at Joshua Tree National Park, we had a grand time. Throughout our trip, I never got tired of the 100's of windmills on I-10, always tuned to the winds, churning slowly, all day and all night long. The sunsets were fantastic as well. I fell in love with this area.

We were fortunate and were able to stay out of most touristy areas during our trip. We had rented a private condo, so we stayed out of the resorts. We also made most of our meals at home, so avoided the crowded restaurant scene. We saw lots of Christmas lights, met extended family, and even spent an awesome quiet but educational day at the local Children's museum.

The kids and I spent a few days after our trip at my sister's house, getting pampered by my parents. My mom cooked, cooked and cooked. We ate and slept, on repeat, during our time with them. She also cooked loads of stuff for us to freeze before she left for India last week. Mum is my star, and whenever I get lazy around the kitchen, one thought about her brings me back to action.

After my parents left for India on the 31st, we met loads of friends in the bay area. Conversations, dining out, games, coffee outings - it was a different kind of fun and relaxation.

When we returned home after 2 weeks, it didn't feel that we were very much in California the entire time. It felt we had traveled several countries and met so many people. We saw snow, rain, desert, new vegetation, Joshua trees, loads of cacti, windmills, tons of airplanes at the Air Museum near SF, rolling green hills and cloud covered vistas during our drives....and so much more. Nature truly treated us this time, and I am very grateful for that.

Our local friends waited for us to celebrate the new year, so once we returned, we partied with them and caught up. Here are a couple of pictures from the party....the kids' gang and a family portrait...

I gifted myself a "kindle unlimited" subscription for my birthday in November, and since then, I've read atleast 30 books, if not more. I stayed up on most nights after the kids slept to read, and after ages, I felt satiated on that front.

The kids are back in school, and I am back at work as of this morning. We are rested, and relaxed, and are looking forward to a couple weeks of solid rain and snow in NorCal. We have more outings planned for later this month and then again in Feb, and I can't wait for summer when I have 2.5 months off this - Sabbatical - can't wait to start planning it!!

What are your 2016 plans :)? I'm listening!!

Happiness is....

:: Realizing I only have to work 6 more days this year :) :)....I will be spending my time off with mum, dad, husband, kids, nephew, sis, bro-in-law....SO looking forward to it!!!

:: Waking up each morning to my son cuddling up next to me and whispering "Hello Madame, Morning! What can I do for you today"?. He sure knows how to treat his girl right!!!!

:: Waking up each morning next to my daughter cuddling to keep my feet warm, and always ready to shower hugs and kisses with her dazzling smile.

:: The husband packing snacks and lunch for me on most days. He throws in surprises every day, which I really look forward to on opening the containers. He also makes tea on most mornings and keeps my flask filled and ready when it's time to leave. Don't be jealous - I know he's a keeper!

:: FaceTime with mum n dad n nephew, every.single.day!

:: Impromptu lunches with girlfriends.

::  Gobbling up Christmas cookies from friends and neighbors - SO good!

:: Reflecting on a successful Maker workshop with elementary school kids; seeing how their little creative minds are ignited with passion to code and make, play games, and do some cool experiments with the maker boards.

:: Being in NorCal - Fall colors all around town, Snow an hour away, beach a couple hours away, and the warm sunshine even during the chilly winter days!

There is lots more, but this is it for today!

Fall in Folsom....

Fall is one of my favorite seasons of the year. Our little town lights up in glory with orange, yellow, red, and brown trees all over.

I used to really enjoy walking from the overflow parking lot at work to my desk during this season. This year, they have chopped off most of those gorgeous trees that I had come to love, and cherish. Why - you may ask? It's because Intel is huge on solar power, and they have converted the open parking lots to covered structures and have put solar panels on top. Most folks really appreciate parking their car under the shade during those scorching summer months. But I feel bittersweet about the whole thing. They have taken away the entire beauty of the campus, in my personal opinion. This is how it looked in previous years....

Most of these trees are gone :(. This does not even show the overflow lot. I used to love getting in early at work in summer, and choose to park my car under a large tree in the overflow lot. And when I would leave work around 5pm, the temperature would be at its peak, often above 100F. But under the lovely shade of the gorgeous tree, my car would be covered, and cool. On most days, I wouldn't even need to turn the AC on right away, just airing out the car would work fine. I'm going to miss that going forward!!

This row of trees is the next in line to be chopped this month. Doesn't it make you cringe :(? or am I the only one feeling this way?

Other than the campus, the town still looks pretty. And thankfully, we have our gorgeous parks, with large, mature trees. And for now, they are here to stay!!!