New Beginnings!

Last week, we had a brand new Kindergartner and a brand new 3rd grader in our house! So much excitement, we could hardly sleep!

Tarun and I had been very excited for the boys to be together at school. As I drove them to school the first day and as the school got closer, a realization struck me; this was it, Vir, our littlest one was off to Elementary school.  Where did the time do?!? And then the eyes were wet and the tears were rolling or may be it was allergies.

But as soon as we parked, the mood was different. The school was beaming with bright smiles. They gave high fives to the greeters and Kabir and I walked Vir to his classroom. Outside the classroom, the board said:

We went inside, Vir met his teachers and soon found his favorite things to play with. He was busy in no time! Kabir walked up to his class and was overjoyed to see his friends!

They both didn't notice when I left and then I didn't see them till pickup.

Vir had a lot to share the first two days and I was overjoyed but now all he shares is about recess and PE! Where did the other stories go? I long for them and I hope they will come back.

Kabir loves third grade! He is loving math, is writing stories and is thinking about what type of community they should be as a class. It's the thinking they do, that I love the most.

Vir is as happy as he can be! He loves the multiple recesses he gets and PE is another favorite. He calls his days "very fun"! I don't doubt him at all. Every day, I wish I was in his class!

Excited for both the boys on their new journey and the magic this year will bring! 

8 is great!

Kabir, you turned 8 earlier this month!

This was a wonderful year! We have been impressed on how quickly and how much independent you have become! All you need now are reminders but who doesn’t?!

As a young 8 year old, you are well read child, who enjoys fiction from Dogman to Harry Potter (You have read 7 of the 8 books and are now re-reading them!), all the books about battles and various wars, to biographies. You love books and are always found with one, unless playing.

Ms. Beeny your teacher, recently shared that on your field trip to the nature reserve center, there was a free library. You picked a book from it, found yourself a tree trunk and sat on it to read! After finishing the book, you went back and joined your group.

You are also writing stories and poems at school. This is one area that we have been working on. A creative child that you are with many wonderful ideas, sometimes they don’t transfer well on paper. Your teachers have been very excited about your latest myth and I can’t wait to read it myself!

Your favorite things to do are building Legos, reading and playing Minecraft!

This year you started taking piano lessons and have your first recital coming up soon. You recently played the below piece for a performance in your class.

You also picked up Fencing and Tae Kwon Do and seem to enjoy them both.

You are curious and are a keen learner. You have a great sense of humor, which is enjoyed both at home and school.

Days have gotten busier for you with some homework every day but weekends allow for some unstructured time, which you love.

In general, you are keeping good health, we are seeing some improvements with asthma and eczema, which is a hopeful change that with some more time it will get even better.

For your birthday, we had Norah, Mamu and Mami visting. You celebrated in school with your favorite Rice Krispie snack and at home we celebrated by spending the day at the Salamander Resort, doing some of your favorite things; playing Foosball, doing archery and spending the day together! First thing you did after getting back home was completely built the Lego set you received as a gift!

You made a donation of various kids items to A Wider Circle, in lieu of a birthday party. I hope you always do for others and others do for you.

It’s been interesting to see you grow, change and also stay the same. Excited to see what year 9 holds!

We love you, Kabir! Stay curious, stay kind and be humble, always.
Mama

Vir, you're 5!

Dear Vir,

This week you turned 5! From here

to here

to here...in a flash!

Daddy and I are still coming to terms with it. You were our little one who is now officially a big boy! You are a very independent and a very caring 5 year old and should I add a stubborn one too! ;) While kids crawl, walk and then run, you went from crawling (very fast crawling) to almost running. Speed has stayed with you. You run, you hop, you jump and you rarely walk. There is always movement where you are.

You independently served yourself breakfast for the first time when you were 3 years old and continue to demonstrate independence. You always want to do everything on your own and when things are done for you, you get upset, very upset. :(

Our hearts swell with pride with the care you show for your family, friends and even those you don’t know. You love to share; be it toys, books or your favorite snack or food. You recently made Gingerbread cookie at school and you made sure you saved it to share with us at home. I ate it slowly so I could enjoy it longer, it was delicious!

You got a free snack at your swim school for your birthday, it was a box of Pringles. Another child around you wanted it too, he asked his mom and his mom said they had snack in their car, you were listening, you slowly went and offered him a chip. His mom let him have it, it was very sweet!

You continue to surpass expectations and I am amazed at how content you are. Stay your sweet, caring and content self.

This year you are in a junior Kindergarten program at the Village Green Day School. You are enjoying the routine and the material you are using in the class. You have made new friends and are enjoying the two recesses you get each day. You love to be outdoors!

You are reading now, words and even sentences, when you are in the mood, you would read the whole level 1 reader book. You love books and are exposed to a large variety thanks to your older brother!

During the ride to school, you often read Calvin and Hobbes or Astrix and I hear you cracking up on the jokes. Some jokes you have heard many times when Kabir reads and some you get by the pictures and the big bolded words. Whatever it is, it brings happiness, when I hear you crack up on jokes after reading them and you would often share them with me too.

These days you are enjoying the Dogman series, anything Star wars is also a favorite and Dr. Seuss too!

You adore Kabir, his word is the last word in everything! You are enjoying building with legos and also with magnet tiles. You love building things with wheels and then adding people to your creations, it’s like a scene. It’s very cute. You often sleep with your creations.

Guess who else loves to build, Kabir! Kabir loves to build so much that he often takes over and when I intervene, you protect him. It’s very sweet. It reminds me of Sumit Mamu and I growing up and when Nani used to come to discipline one of us, we would take each other’s side. :)

Overall, you are are very wise soul with an enormous heart and while this is your one side, the other is wild and adventurous!

We started your birthday celebration over the weekend and visited your favorite Air and Space museum!

Kabir got you a toy airplane as a present! You were so excited that couldn't wait till your birthday to receive it! :)

On your birthday, we celebrated with your friends and teachers in the Giraffes class and later celebrated at home with dinner of your choice (spaghetti and meatballs!).

Together we decided that in lieu of a birthday party this year, we would donate. You are big on donating things you are outgrowing and when I brought the idea of helping others and bringing happiness to those in need, you were with me. Not once you cringed or said you wanted a party instead. I am SO proud of you!

I reached out to A Wider Circle and asked how we could help and they sent me a few options. It was hard to pick one, AWC supplies key items to 150 families each month, they also needed diapers and wipes. They shared they never have enough diapers, usually they don't have enough to even give one packet or even half a packet to the families. Knowing the need, it was hard to pick one thing to donate, so we donated a mix of things from boxes of diapers, wipes, toilet paper, laundry detergent, all purpose cleaner to pasta. Things are starting to arrive at AWC today! It's a great feeling.

Thank you for making an impact and being selfless at this young age.

Vir, I wish you always do for others and bring joy to those you know and also to those you don't. I wish you stay curious and wise. I wish the spark in your eyes that brings us smiles, never fade. I wish you and Kabir always have a very strong bond.

Vir, you fill my heart with pride. Many happy returns of the day, my love! May God bless you always.

With love,
Mama