2009, here we come

There are some people who just hate change. They fight it kicking and screaming to the last nail. And then there are some who embrace it wholeheartedly, who seek the gifts that come their way with each change, who try and discover new meanings to their life each time life takes a turn. I like to think I'm of the second variety.

Last year was pretty eventful. We conceived Bojjandi early in the year, a big surprise and in some ways a shock - not in our plans, for sure. But soon enough we realised that this was God's whisper and who were we to not listen to someone who had other plans. Shortly after that, A was busy with the launch of his new television channel, something he'd been working on for 6 months and wanting to do for much longer. A gigantic work project came my way, and we were on a whirlwind of travel, client meetings, research, ideating, arguing and so on. I got roped into an online baby shower and on the way discovered a whole world of blogfriends, whom I couldn;t live without now. We had what must surely class as Chubbocks' best holiday ever, right here in good old Goa. And we finally got the opportunity to rent the whole house we live in and got busy with the renovation, from July.

Chubbocks went into kindergarten this year, from nursery, and became a 'bus children', as he calls it. From being a baby who greeted change with suspicion if not outright tears, he's become a sporty little boy, who looks forward to new adventures and meets them halfway. He's had quite a few milestones, including a tooth that, he discovered on 31st December, was finally wobbling. "I'm so happy, Mama", he told me with a big beam, as he wobbled it back and forth for me. He's had several playdates and even been on a sleepover. That was a big step for him, since he's only ever stayed over at my parent's place before. There was a playdate with four of his best friends from school, and he had the option of staying overnight there or coming back. He chose to stay over, and the house felt all empty to us. Puddi wandered around like a lost soul. He finally came back the next afternoon, with a strange expression on his face, and burst into tears. he had missed us dreadfully, and gotten up in the middle of the night and cried. His friend had told him to go to another room to see if he felt any better and this poor little baby had been roaming around the strange house, blinking back his tears. Now he's still full of beans for a playdate but starts getting antsy by evening, wanting to come back home to mama.

Chubbocks had his first crush this year, on one of his classmates. It's very sweet and yet funny to see the bashful expression on his face as he keeps recounting incidents from school which feature his ladylove. We've been really good and not teasing him, though it's hard to resist the temptation to ask him leading questions. He also electrified us by announcing that all the girls in his class had decided whom they want to marry when they grow up, and he agrees he wants to get married because , "otherwise I'll feel bad when I come home from work and nobody's there". He has also made his second career choice ( the first, last year, was to be a dentust), to become a paleontologist, and has been studying dinosaurs with avid interest.

Puddi has grown into a mad little thing, with two distinctly different sides to her Gemini personality. She can be Miss Prim and proper, sitting with hands folded and ankles crossed, asking for her hair to be combed just so and begging to wear Mama's earrings and necklaces, deciding which outfit she wants to wear that day. And she can be a complete madcap climbing up the monkey gym, hanging off of the furniture, turning somersaults and making crazy expressions with her dancing eyes. She's great fun to be with, and has a tremendous sense of fun herself, throwing herself into all sorts of games. She has a whispering game which she plays every few days, when she says everything in a conspiratorial whisper. Her new thing is to ask Chubbocks if he wants to get into the Bat cave with her ( my sister brought them one), and then they both run in and then rush out, screaming. She loves pretending to be a dinosaur/ lion, everything with the same roar, intense stare and hands turned into claws.

She had her own milestone late this year when she became a big sister and started going to playschool. She's been amazing in the way she's adjusted to the new baby, never complaining about the time and attention I have to give him, and immensely interested and loving towards him. She loves laying her cheek softly against his head or stroking his chubby cheeks with her chubby finger. She's always clamouring to hold him in her tiny lap, and delighted whenever he smiles up at her. And school...wow, what enthusiasm she shows for it. The days that she has to go, she's ready from the morning, getting her bag out into the living room, dragging her shoes out. She practices each and every thing they do in school at home and has made leaps and bounds of progress in English.

A's had an interesting year as well. Launching two new channels, nearly getting posted off to Bombay, then resigning and deciding to finally strike out on his own and do something that's been a passion for him for a while now, film production. For a while now, he's been going through the angst of working to someone else's goals and values, which is a common conflict when one works in the corporate sector, and now finally, he gets his chance to break out and be true to himself, to operate from his center, as Oprah says. I've always believed that that way you get the joy that your work should be composed of, and you do end up making money.

For me, apart from the sheer delight of watching the kids grow, welcoming Bojjandi into the world and having an interesting year at work, the best part of the year has been the last three months, when A was home and so was I. We both got to hang out with the kids and with each other, chill out, have no agenda to our days, and it was fabulous. If there was one big gift the year gave me, it was that halcyon period of 3 months. Lots of little gifts as well:
Our new and improved/ larger house
Finishing my chick-lit novel
My sister's visit at year-end
The recession, which finally gave me the kick in the pants I needed to cut down on spending ( that's a bit of a 2-edged gift, but nevertheless...)

To misquote Tennyson,
"Old year you must not go;
So long you have been with us,
Such joy as you have seen with us,
Old year, you shall not go.

He froth'd his bumpers to the brim;
A jollier year we shall not see.
He was a friend to me.
Old year, you shall not die;
We did so laugh and cry with you,
Old year, you shall not die"

I'm looking forward to 2009 being an interesting year as well - lots more blogging, hanging out with friends on and offline, interesting work and hopefully financial security too...I miss shopping!