Here, there and everywhere...

This has been a hectic and fun two weeks!

First, there was the family function in Mumbai last weekend. Preparations for that had been on for almost two months. The first thing we did is getting A's clothes in order. I had two saries, one in pink and the other in a sea-green colour, which I had somehow always visualised as being made into lehengas for A. This was the ideal opportunity for that. So I got my tailor to agree to the idea (an old fellow who was scandalised at having to cut the saries!), designed the cholis to be stitched from the pallus, and the ghagaras with pleats giving way to a flare at the bottom. A loved them, the way the hem swished around her feet. Then I had to check if the blouses of the saris I wanted to wear fit, or get new ones stitched. A loved helping me pack, and as always, we packed, and re-packed several times before we thought we had everything. I contrast this with my husband's packing, which was done in 10 minutes on the morning of our journey, before he left for office! We had a great time at Mumbai meeting all our relations and A queening it as the only girl among all her cousins. However hectic it is, I usually feel refreshed after getting back to my roots.

Then there was the international postcard swap in which we had taken part. There were cards to be written, gifts that A wanted to send to be bought, and then the whole assembled together and posted. We had fun doing it!

Then, since we were going to be out of town for the week before A's birthday, we had to plan ahead for the cake cutting in school, and the party she wanted to have at home for her friends. That was a big job in itself. The school was informed, the cake ordered, food ordered, dress bought, invites handwritten by A to give her friends before we took off, duly delivered.

On the day of her birthday, about which I have written earlier, we had the excitement of getting the book from Tulika books. Also, Zoe wrote about the book I had sent her on her blog making me feel very warm, and A very excited. As if that wasn't enough, I got an invite that same day to join Saffrontree  as a member. Something I was very happy doing.

On friday, we had planned a treasure hunt for A's birthday party in my complex. I had taken photographs of 10 places in the grounds, and the children had to identify each of these, go there and hunt around for a clue. This was a puzzle or a riddle, which they had to solve, or a task, in which there was something exciting to eat or drink in between all that running around. The kids had a blast at the hunt, just as I had one planning it! Return gift was a copy of "Where's Hanuman," in keeping with the theme of a hunt.

There was more to follow, believe it or not! I had participated in a book review contest held by Crossword bookstores. This week, I got a mail from them saying my review had won. It is the same one that I have posted as my first post at Saffrontree.

I still have a long lists of tasks to do before I can really put my feet up. The first of which is the review I promised Tulika books. A has to read the book, give her input and then I write my post about it!

"And miles to go before I sleep!"