Love You Mom!

Coco and mommy in Lansdowne

It was a chaotic morning as usual this Friday, like all school day mornings. To add to my stress, Coco was in a bad mood, sleepy, whiny and not ready to go to school. Somehow, we got ready and reached school. But he refused to get down from the car and insisted that the school was closed today. I gathered up my last fragments of waning patience and asked him if we could just go and check whether it was open or not. If it was closed, he could come back with me. If it was open, well, we shall see then! Nope, not ready to come!

Chef Coco on Labor Day 

Thereafter, I tried to convince him by telling him that Mother's day was around the corner, so there might be some card making today, it will be so much fun and he will give mommy a card today. Nada! Not charming enough. At last I picked him up and deposited him inside the school gate where one of the teachers received him. As it is, we are always five minutes late, no matter how fast we get ready. But it is still acceptable because a lot of kids are coming around that time. Any later than five minutes, and the school gates look abandoned. Everything suddenly seems to grow eyes, looking at me accusingly, 'you're late!'

The whining turned into wailing that I could hear from far away, but kept walking to my car. Mornings are sometimes tough like that. 

When I went back at noon to pick him up, it was a happy sight to see the children coming out and handing a colorful flowery card to their respective moms, with the teachers reminding them of how they taught them to say 'I  love you mom.' I waited for my turn as I saw smiling, glowing mothers walking out with their kids. So, my prediction this morning was correct. Though there was some more activity scheduled solely for mothers the next day, a card was a must today. However, 'I love you' is something that Coco and I say all the time to each other. Expressions of love need not be restricted to special days.

In a few minutes, Coco came out smiling, holding a paper poppy flower and ran straight to me saying, 'See, ma'm gave me caad.' His 'Ma'm' interfered, asking, 'Coco, how should you say it?' Coco thought for a moment and held the card to me, saying, 'Ye lo, Mother Day.'

His mam asked, 'And?' He racked his brains, then mam hinted, 'Love you?'

His eyes lit up as he remembered and jumped, 'Love you mom!' 

'Aww, I love you too baby!' I said and hugged him, picking him up instantly. Though I knew I was going to get a card and hear 'love you mom,' it still made my heart skip a beat. I smiled at the teacher, wishing her good day, thankful for my dark sunglasses which didn't show my misty eyes. All of a sudden, I was missing my mom.

Precious April Days!

The Coco household is packing and moving across the length of the country in May, a month of new prospects. May is full of hopes and possibilities of what 'May' happen! But the sweet memories of a beautiful April are not leaving the lazy woman's mind, especially as she is sitting amid black army boxes, laboriously wrapping her stuff in bubble wraps and taping them. 

For anyone who is wondering what was so special about April, the weather was awesome for the starters. While the rest of India complained of scorching heat, we were seeing charming, breezy days and cool evenings. The air was filled with sweet scents of spring and the winter flowers were still around, reminding us of the lovely winter that went by. 

With the most pleasant part of the year, which is neither cold nor hot, it was still possible to spend some time outside in the company of my favorite roses. If only the mosquitoes were not there!

March was the concluding month for Coco's playschool. Ferrying him back and forth to school had become a favorite activity of my day in the past 8-9 months. The sight of shiny roads and warm sun made me incredibly happy. To complete the happiness, strains of vintage Hindi music always accompanied me. Have a close look at the picture above. It was taken on a drive back from Coco's school. The white iron gate and red pillars of FRI gate, with a magnificent building behind them (not in the picture) are a sight that I am in love with. Do you see hills in the background? It is Mussoorie. My humble phone camera cannot do justice to this incredible sight. In April, we got Coco's admission done for only a month in the new session so that he is occupied with activities, while we are busy with packing. So my driving job is back and I am happily doing it for it brings to me the sights and sounds of a beautiful ten-minute drive, twice a day. 

To make April more pleasant, a book arrived in mail. Yes, people, I am a published writer now, with a short story published in an anthology named 'Colors: Shades Of Life'. My story is about two army wives (how obvious :D) and their friendship. The book is getting rave reviews and is available on amazon and goodreads. If you buy the book and read it, please be kind enough to share your thoughts and reviews. And I must thank you all again for your immense support and words of encouragement.

While we are delivering news, here comes one long due, though not related to April. The lovely folks at 'Burst Of Happyness' have hired me as a blogger to write informative and useful pieces for a healthy and happy life. I also manage their editorial calendar on the side. So, if you wish to contribute an article, do get in touch with me :). Please do visit the blog and get a lot of useful articles about health, beauty, awareness, natural living, decluttering, DIY recipes etc. You can also wander off to the main site and treat yourself to luxurious handmade bath and body goodies.

Before the packing began, we spent all our April weekends in visiting nearby places like Lansdowne and Mussoorie. More on these in upcoming posts! Till then, enjoy the exciting possibilities that 'May' happen.