Y's Big Book Break

I've always wanted to write. When I started this blog in November, 2006 ( oh my GOD that's a long time ago), it was in order to have some sort of a creative outlet.
I blogged fanatically for a while until I realized I was spending too much time on it. But it was a very important step. It put me in touch with some wonderful people, especially mothers. I made some good friends in the blogging circuit. I learnt to deal with (surprisingly few) negative people. And importantly - there were some people who told me that they liked reading me so much that I should write a book.
So Guess What?
While I was on my maternity leave (must have been the near-death experience as I dramatically put it to myself), I wrote me a little something, sent it out, waited a looong time, hoping and praying that someone would like it enough to actually publish it.
And Guess What?
Now don't get too excited - it's a long while away from actually becoming a final product and being launched, in fact, it could take upto a year as the completely darling Chief Editor says. So there's really not much point talking about it just now. But here's the strange thing - over the last few months, my orientation changed completely to 'I want it out soooon' to 'I don't actually care too much about a few months here and there'. The point is - I'm an author. And I know this is only the first. My head is already bursting with ideas for the second and one of my discussions with the Editor today was on a list of book ideas so that I know which one to work on this year, while the first one goes through it's own course of finalization et al.
So it's a huge deal for me. I've been blogging very little because it's hard for me to not write about what's happening in life, and I didn't want to talk about it until it really happened. But now I'm back and I think I'm going to be a lot more regular about writing.
And yeah, I'm not quitting my day job just yet. From whatever I hear, there's not very much money in writing and besides, I actually like my job (gasp!) despite the occasional little annoyances that it entails. Besides, many mouths to feed and all that jazz. So therefore, balance is the key. As I figured when I stopped home after work for about an hour before heading out to the Editor-meeting, and was faced with two wailing babies who wanted to be fed and cuddled at the same time, while Peanut hung on determinedly to my leg as I tried to leave, claiming 'Tell me a SHTORY right now. You ALREADY went to OFFISH'.
Deep breath. Balance. Very important. Sigh.
But before I forget. I want to say a big thanks ( Oscar Style!) to a few people.

To Stuti and Svety and other kind bloggers/commenters for all the encouragement starting many years ago and consistently telling me I write funny and should write more.

To the lady who inspired me to start and finish and send out to publishers and all that jazz and who has no qualms about 'Taking full credit' as she puts it herself. And by the way, happy birthday, Parul.

To my good friend Ganju, Richa and my sister Gitanjali for giving me their feedback on multiple versions.

And to my hubby dear, mother dear and the rest of the family and friends - for all the great material. It just keeps coming at me, every single day.

But balance calls...little Papad has woken up after fifteen minutes of deep sleep and is now wailing for attention.

What fun.

And with that I bid you Goodnight. You beautiful, beautiful people, you!

'You had TWINS?'

I'll do another, longer post some other day about the various inappropriate comments that a mother of twins receives. Right now, I'm still in the process of collecting.

But yes, the reactions that really get my goat are the ones along the lines of 'Oh you've had twins? So...

'How do you manage?!'
' Three kids? Poor you!'
'Got more than you bargained for, eh?'
'There should be a law against twins the second time round!'
And my personal favorite...
'Best of luck!'

So the thing is - I guess it must be the near death experience or equivalent with the delivery last year, or maybe the scare during the pregnancy itself with the late discovery of twins halfway through, or the jaundice when they were born - but net-net, I'm actually extremely, extremely glad to be a mother of three. I especially love the fact that I'm a mom of twins, given that I've always had a fascination with twins ever since the O'Sullivan Twins and the Sweet Valley Twins that I read about as a little girl.

I have three babies, am managing a career and am working on a very important personal project at the moment. Life is full. Overfull at times, but there's never a dull moment. Day before yesterday, I pulled out my dusty old guitar and was singing to the twins and Peanut. Vijay came in and sat down and made the twins do a highly synchronized Gangsta type dance which had Peanut and me in peals of laughter, so much so that I could barely sing. I realized that I may never get up on stage again like I used to in college, but heck, I got my very own audience - in fact, my very own set of groupies, given how the kids clambered all over me later as I lay back on the bed, making me feel like a very willing Gulliver trapped in a highly blissful and endearing Lilliput.

So yes, Mister 'Best of Luck'...

I accept your wishes for whatever they are worth as I turn my attention back to my 'little' family.

After all, more luck is always welcome.

Why I love February

Because first it's Happy Birthday to me, and then it's that soppy Valentine's Day and then...and then...

Happy Anniversary to Vijay and Y!!

Eight years and three kids later, we're still going strong. Well, that's a bit of a lie. We could both use some massages, naps, vitamins and what have you.

But still!

As my dear friend Ganju put it when he saw a picture of us with Peanut, Pickle and Papad on Facebook...

''Hum Do, Hamare Pandrah-Bees''.

Eight. Years.

Wow.

Happy Bhalentine's!

To You.

Oh, and try this. You could win a Valentine's Day Voucher. Even if you don't, it's kind of fun.

Y Thought for the Day

... the joy of walking up eleven flights of stairs each day in an attempt to get fit, is somewhat lessened by the fact that you meet some jokers every alternate floor who are lighting up, ensuring that you get some of that good ol' passive smoke into your system as you earnestly pant your way upstairs.

When Your 3 year old

Comes up to you and says...

'Mama. You love me all the time. I know that. But sometimes when you scold me, I get so very utset. Humph'.

...and then goes off with a dignified trot...

You're left staring after her open-mouthed wondering where that suddenly came from - and then think

'Yeah. That's my girl'.

The Twins Who Pretend To Be Identical

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I've always been fascinated by the thought of twins. Well, I actually always wondered what it would be like to be have a twin. But being a mother of two beautiful twin boys is clearly the next best thing.
Funny thing about Pickle and Papad is that they're supposed to be identical but they really look quite different. They are 'genetically identical' - but they're definitely two separate individuals.
Pickle is the 'big bhaiiya' - he was born one minute before Papad but is definitely the gunda of the twosome. He sat up earlier, is already crawling and despite his rough start with the jaundice and all that - or perhaps because of it - he's the tougher one.
His cheeks are like two eminently bite-able apples. They are incredibly big, round, red and faintly chapped thanks to the Delhi winter. Quite adorable.
Papad is the sweetie - the youngest one, the baby of the family. He's got very shy smiles, and slightly sparse hair unlike Pickle's thick black crop. Papad is a very good little baby in general.
We took them for their development check up at 6 months a week or so ago -and the specialist made a comment on Papad making Pickle do all the hard work - he lay around peacefully watching Pickle grab at, bang on and otherwise experiment with all the new toys. The specialist said 'When they're older, he'll say you go ahead...book the movie ticket...talk to Mum about going...and buy a ticket for me too'.
Somehow the image of my not-so-identical identical twin sons at about the age of 15 talking to me about their plans to go for a movie hit me with a jolt. These little babies aren't just the teddy bears I think of them as sometimes...they're going to be two strapping males. Peanut's bodyguards.
Prospective suitors for my daughter are going to be chased off by others saying 'Whoa...watch out for that one...her twin brothers are toughies, they really look out for rher'.
Already she's so fond of them and vice versa - she makes them laugh all the time. I think they're going to have a really special relationship. And of course, there are times when she wants to act like the third twin. A couple of hours back, I decided to put clips in the twins' hair to make them look like cute little girls so of course Peanut had to get into the act as well. The three of them were a real sight to see.
Man, I've made some cute babies. Well done, Y's uterus.
Now where's that Kala Teeka again? It's one of those posts, isn't it? Well, I couldn't help it.
Three is a good number.