Another week behind us, and another week where I didn’t blog as frequently as I wanted. Mostly because I don’t have time but when I do, I’d rather sit and watch TV with Vishnu!

Anyways, let’s play a bit of catch-up on what’s been going around our apartment these days…

In no particular order…

Mother’s Day 2020

Mother’s Day 2020 – Overall, we had a great weekend. I got to do a few things for me and spend lots of QT with my two boys! We had yummy food, I got to read a bit of my new book, I napped when K napped, I worked out. Not too shabby given the current circumstances!

Par cuts Kaiden’s hair

Speaking of Mother’s Day, I cut Kaiden’s hair for the first time! We got this kit from Costco, watched many YouTube videos but found this one to be most helpful, and got to work. This is the first time I’ve ever done something like this (using the buzzer on Vishnu’s hair doesn’t count), and I was just so proud that it actually looked good! We didn’t want to use the buzzer on Kaiden, so a scissor only cut it was…which is why I was so sure I was going to mess up. But that YouTube video gave me all the confidence and tips I needed.

Virtual baby shower

Have you guys attended an virtual events yet? We attended our first virtual baby shower this past weekend and it was so fun. Nothing like a real in-person party, but we still made the most of it and had a blast. Vishnu and I even won a baby Jeopardy game (go figure!).

Meditation for Kids book launch event

I also attended Tejal V. Patel’s book launch event, and let me tell you – it has me so motivated to bring meditation into all of our lives in full force! Vishnu and I talked about it afterwards and we are both in agreement that this is something as important as learning your numbers, letters, shapes, and colors. As Kaiden grows up, we want him to have a toolkit full of resources that will help him navigate his emotions and thoughts. But we also understand that in order for this to happen, we need to model what it looks like or at least go on the journey with him. So we’re committing to this as a family! Wish us luck!

I highly recommend checking out her book, Meditation for Kids, if you’re interested in this as well. Easy to understand and follow with 40 exercises to engage your child. It’s truly amazing!

Trader Joe’s

I made my first Trader Joe’s fun in eight weeks on Friday! To say, I was excited would be an understatement, as would say I blew our weekly grocery budget out of the water. Oops! My one product recommendation after this trip would be the Chili Onion Crunch. It goes with EVERYTHING! It’s condiment that’s spicy, crunchy, and just plain delicious. Vishnu also loved it. Next time I go to TJs, I’m going to have to grab like five bottles!

Mama Mina’s care package

Speaking of food, my mom sent us a couple of care packages filled with Indian snacks. So sweet and thoughtful of her, my dad, and my ba (grandmother) who all worked super hard to get everything ready. This just goes to show that a mom’s love never lessens with time. In fact, I think my thinks about me and my sister more now that we’re older! I’ve been having so much fun snacking on so many different and delicious things. My favorite little treat are the kachoris she sent. I eat them with ketchup or the red chutney I found in my freezer (also made by my mom at some point!). THANK YOU, MA/DAD/BA!

Little Fires Everwhere

Have you seen Little Fires Everywhere? If not, you need to! Vishnu and I finished the six episode Hulu show over the weekend. I read the book almost two years ago, and I wasn’t impressed with the show at first (too slow, I think), but then the second half picked up and it was on fire! Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington are the two leads, and they were spectacular. They brought the whole story to life! Highly recommend this one!

Becoming (the documentary)

I also started watching the Becoming documentary on Netflix but had to stop because it was late and I was tired. Just the first few minutes had me tearing up though! Can’t wait to watch the whole thing.

Where’s Waldo?

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that Kaiden is now obsessed with Where’s Waldo? He loves looking for Waldo, Waldo’s sister (Wanda), Bad Waldo, and Santa Claus (the wizard). And I would be lying if I said Vishnu and I weren’t into it because we are…big time! I wasn’t sure if he would find any joy in looking for tiny characters on a very densely illustrated page, but he loves it and it keeps his attention for more than two minutes…so win win win all around! Highly recommend checking out the books if you have a toddler. I think most would enjoy.

We have this one, this one, and this one.

The Power of Showing Up

I recently finished The Power of Showing Up. This is a parenting book more focused on the parents than the kids themselves. It’s about secure attachment, why it’s important, and how to build it. If you like reading about the psychology of parenting (I’m obsessed!), this one is for you!

The Gifted School

So now I’m on to The Gifted School, and it’s definitely an interesting read so far. I’m only 50 or so pages in but I’m excited to see where it goes. Hard to tell at this point, but I feel like it’s going to be a good one.

Reading goal

Out of the top three things I do for me and me alone at this time – exercising, working out, and reading – I feel like reading is the one that feels less like a chore. It still brings me so much joy, and the books are sort of an escape from our reality. All of that to say that I’ve committed to at least 5 minutes of daily reading. So far, I’ve been reading for 15-30 minutes, but 5 is my minimum. Woo hoo! Here’s to reaching my 20 books in 2020 goal!

That’s all I’ve got right now! Tell me how you’re doing. Hope things are well, but feel free to tell me if they’re not. Big hugs!

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If you’ve ever felt that I paint a pretty picture about life and motherhood, I hope this post sets the record straight.

This weekend was one for the books in terms of how hard it was (in recent memory). It’s hard to tell what’s bothering Kaiden because he can’t express himself articulately at that level yet, but whatever it was, it was a doozy. He was melting down left and right over the smallest things (and that’s when we could figure out what was bothering him) – drop of water on his shirt, having to wash his hands, me wearing my Apple watch, etc.

While he is an emotional child, his meltdowns are usually short-lived. I’m wondering if has something to do with the current situation. I didn’t think he really got it, but perhaps having to stay inside for 6 weeks has had an impact.

I just feel for him because he’s usually my happy boy. Vishnu and I are just trying to stick to our boundaries and talking him through each situation as it unfolds. I’m hoping in a couple of weeks something clicks and he understands that we can talk about somethings versus cry and scream about them. Wish us luck!

With that, here’s are some weekend highlights…

Friday

• Virtual game night with some friends. We played Codenames, and it was really fun and a lot more seamless than I thought it would be.
• Happy Camper pizza for dinner. I got the veggie loaded pie and it was DELISH! This is some of the best pizza I’ve had in Chicago. If you’re a deep dish fan, take this with a grain of salt. Otherwise, try it if you get the chance.
• Family walk around the neighborhood. Kaiden sat in his stroller for most of it, but then we unleashed the beast towards the end so he could burn some energy!

Saturday

• Workout with Vishnu. We did a Has Fit HIIT workout – a great one to do with someone else. You don’t need a ton of room and could easily use soup cans or water bottles if you don’t have light weights.
• Meltdowns galore (see intro to the post)…no need for me to elaborate here!
• Wine, cheese, and movie night with Vishnu. MUCH MUCH MUCH NEEDED!
• Some outdoor time with K. In the morning we spent some time on our balcony, and in the afternoon, we attempted another family walk. As soon as we stepped outside our building, it starting raining. We made our way upstairs, while dealing with another meltdown, and by the way we got to our place, it stopped raining. Go figure! We did manage to get some time on our balcony (much needed!).
• I made Table of Spice’s chocolate banana bread in muffin form (again!). Kaiden loves this recipe, and I make it with 4 bananas and only 2 tablespoons of sugar…so technically it’s healthy, right?!

Sunday

• Cleaning of bathrooms by yours truly. Even though I hate this task, it is technically alone time…so I’ll take it?!
• Another family walk. The weather in Chicago was on fire this weekend!
• I made Peas and Crayons Tortilla Soup and felt comfort and happiness with every spoonful. I’ve been making this for a couple of years now, and it’s absolutely delicious and virtually fool-proof.

Hoping for a better week for all of us! Make it a good one 🙂

I was talking to one of my good friends the other night. She has two toddler girls, a demanding a job, and a husband with a demanding job. Her experience so far has been chaotic and messy. And as you all know, mine hasn’t exactly been a piece of cake (but whose has?!).

We were laughing about how hard this is at time and how we would do anything to go back to days like the ones we had before – long commutes, packed weekends…the hustle and bustle days as I like to call them. We just didn’t appreciate them for what they were. We took them for granted because we never imagined a situation like this one.

The flip side of this Corona coin is that while the past is in the past, the future is so uncertain. For us, we have no clue when we’ll get to see our parents again. Heck, I don’t know when I’ll see my sister and BIL. Not anytime soon. And that just makes me sad. I don’t care if I have to wear a mask everywhere I go, or if I can’t go to my favorite restaurants/stores/whatever, but let me see my family! And to be honest, I think this has been the hardest part for me. The uncertain future and not knowing when it’ll be ‘safe’ to see the people I love again.

That’s all to say that the Coronavirus is truly teaching us that all we have is the now. And we need to appreciate it for all it’s worth. Because I bet there will be a day (in the future) where we long for the days home with our kids, no commutes, lazy afternoons, regular movie nights, etc.

Other day 46 happenings:

• Bollywood lost yet another iconic actor – Rishi Kapoor. Just a day after the death of Irffan Khan. So sad. Both were so incredibly talented and had so much life in front of them.
• I made a yummy pasta for dinner (totally off the cuff) and Kaiden went from not wanting anything to do with it to devouring his whole plate.
• Kaiden’s been having more outbursts lately where if he even hears the whispers of a no coming, he screams. It’s intense and annoying but I kind of get it. Sometimes all I want to do is scream. We’re trying to talk him through his emotions because he definitely understands a lot more now, so let’s just say it’s a work in progress…
• From a work perspective, I had a really great conversation with a potential external speaker we want to use for a virtual networking events I’m helping to pull together. The focus is on women in the workplace and how we can better position ourselves during this time, why communication and the words we use are so important, etc. That call was followed up by a call with my coworker who’s working on this with me, and she was so genuinely excited about this that it got me even more excited. So yeah, we’re excited!
• I did a Workout with Salma workout yesterday morning and felt a soreness in my legs and butt all day. It was intense yet awesome! I love interval training over counting reps, so this was especially great. Highly recommend checking out her program if you need/want to switch things up.

And that was day 46 in a nutshell. Lata gatas!