Neighbours

Being in an apartment means u r going to have plenty of neighbours. Some may have good neighbours and some may not. IF u have energetic kids at home and don't stay on the ground floor, it means u r not going to be a good neighbour to the one who stays below u. Kids could be a nuisiance to the neighbours below. Earlier when we moved in to this apmt,we didn't know the rules to being a friendly neighbour. WIthout my knowledge L threw banana peels out of the balcony which happend to fall on the extended balcony of my neighbour downstairs. She called us up and we had to make a friendly visit . She advised my girl who was almost 4 then about not throwing waste out of the balcony. L happily nodded. She just had to hear that to feel tempted to throw things out of the balcony all the time. I had to keep her away from the balcony initially. L did repeat it again once(again I was called up) but after she grew, it got solved. But then G grew up to take her place. She throws a few things even now ,however strict I am. But now I guess she's got used to it..We even have to keep the 9:30 PM deadline(as told to us by our neighbour, as her kids go to bed by then) after which we aren't supposed to let our kids jumping around in the house (which my kids r fond of till 11 at night). G specially, loves to jump (after 9:30) the moment I tell her that our neighbours kids are asleep. What to do ? My threats have deafened their ears.

Tip of the Day

Invest for long term and never trade unless you are an expert.

Small Surprises

Even the most itbsy bitsy, teeny weeny, smallest gesture of love can make a child happy. Talk of gifts and a child's face lightens up. Give ur child lots of small thoughtful gifts. Mention that u have a small gift for them and see the excitement. U can even use the old leftover giftwrappers to cover up small small things. Be Creative. It can be a chocolate,something special u have made out of paper or even a handmade card. Give it as a gift when they come from school to surprise them or give it as a reward for being good. They will cherish it and make surprises for u too.

Tip of the Day

Investing systematically is a good option but blindly putting in a SIP may not be a good idea. Invest on the days when the market falls heavily.

Play Time

My girls fight all the time never agreeing on the same thing while playing with each other, but there are few games that they play together...one is the house game...they build a house with all the available Pillows in the house making them as walls so that each one gets a room.

Another thing that fascinates them is dressing up. All my Duppattas have been used by them as i have a big collection of them. When i give away my old salwars, i don't give the Duppattas and so i have a large stock of it. My girls have fun using them as sarees or dressing up in any other fashion. 'G'(yunger one) always want to dress up just like 'L' and so i have to make sure that they both get the same colour dupatta most of the time. Sometimes I don't check on what they play as i think that they should have their own space and solve their own arguments. While playing ,there r umpteen number of times when 'L' bosses up 'G'.

The other day, after my elder girl(L) came from school, she saw a duppatta lying on the sofa.
Immediatly she told told 'G' to kneel down and pray as how they do in the church. L went into the bedroom with the Duppatta. I was continuing with my work as I really didn't understand , what my girls were playing. I even asked 'L' why she was giving punishment to 'G'. 'G' kneels down on the carpet happily and starts singing aloud in some unknown language as she ususally does when she pretends, as if she's singing in church. Around 3-4 minutes later(probably fedup of singing alone), 'G' calls out " WHere is the bride aunty"? L comes running out from the bedroom in her halfdress and Duppatta on her head as the veil of the bride....It was only then that I understood that they were enacting a marriage ceremony in church. I was amused watching my girls play the rest of the scenes.

Tip of the Day

Do investment in MFs by directly approaching AMCs, thereby saving on the entry load.

Keep Learning

Dear Friends,

thank u all for ur overwhelming response....i never thot that I would get such tremendous support from the time i started my blog.....thanx once again.

I will be putting in posts only on alternate days from now on....if i do have anything interesting ,i would break that rule too. ....:)

If any of u desire to learn something but feel thats its impossible......think of it once again!.....If God is with u, Anything is Possible !

I never thot that I would learn swimming fast, as I thot it was nearly Impossible!...in the same way, back in college..i had the desire to learn to play the guitar and i did that too...I had to put in hardwork too to learn playing (tho i do not know the basics even now). I managed to learn playing the chords with the help of a few friends( a big thanx to K and R) .

Life is so full of stuff to learn and I don't hope to sit idle. I do hope that all of u too, would learn something new or atleast try to.

I used to have a skipping rope with me for many years which i never used. Surprisingly,now my elder daughter uses it. One day she took it out with her to play and now she's learned to use it without any help.

So to all of u out there....Keep Trying and Keep Smiling!

Tip of the Day

Mutual fund is a not a place where returns are guaranteed. Their NAVs also fall with a falling market. Many times 70% of funds falls faster than the market.

Would You ?

If there's darkness

In the world,

All round you,

Would you be that Little light,

In everybody's view?

If there's a child,

In some sort of danger,

Would you run along,

Just to save her?

If there's a Poor Lady,

who lived across the street,

Would u help her

to meet atleast one need?

If there's an old man,

Who's just fallen down,

Would you go over ,

To help him up?

If there's a tree,

Thats just been cut off,

Would you plant another,

to save mother nature?

If there's a friend,

Who's done some wrong,

Would you point fingers,

Or forgive and resolve?

If you have loved someone,

And have been deceived,

Would you just sit and cry,

Or carry on with ur life ?

If you r in despair,

And left with no care,

Would you take time to think,

Of Someone up there?

Someone who has watched you,

All these years,

And taken you thru.

Shudn't u take ,

A little of ur time,

Just to thank Him?

Exploits in Water

Its been a day of triumph for me as I finally learnt to swim today. Its been years that i've desired to learn swimming. I had made an attempt a few months back to learn swimming with a few friends(with the help of their tips) in our apmt pool and no Coach. Initially I found it hard to stay afloat by just kicking. I thought it was impossible. I used to return after great exploits in water with body aches. So much aches that i had to take a crocin an hour before i got into the pool. Then there used to be blunders as we(me and another friend of mine who too was learning) used to close our eyes and struggle to swim across. On opening our eyes we would find that we had swam diagonally and not straight. I had to travel to my native in betwn and these water exploits got abandoned.
I got a chance again, a week back, to learn, coz a friend was going to the Pool daily for a swim. I took this opportunity to learn swimming again. I get some free time now since my yunger child has started school this year.Though the past few days i've only been splashing water in our apmt pool, I never thought that I would be successful since there's only been some directions from a few good friends on how to learn and some tips on breathing ,floating and basics. Not being trained by a professional didn't stand as a barrier to me as learning to swim was what I wanted to do somehow. My hardwork and Perseverance paid . And Of course, Somebody up there helped me too!
Now I need not feel J(jealous), when I watch the swimmers in the coming OLympics!

Tribute to a Virtuous Woman

Few Beautiful verses from the Bible that I like .....

Proverbs Chapter 31 verses 10 -31

10 A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still dark;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her servant girls.
16 She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a

vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her the reward she has earned, and

let her works bring her praise at the city gate.