Last Navaratri, Sahana had just graduated from moving around the house by holding onto the furniture to walking on her own by pushing the stools around.

This year, there she is, running all around the house dressed beautifully in a pattu pavadai with flowers adorning her two kudumis & the sounds of her golusu echoing everywhere. She loves getting dressed and going out and she has preferences about every single thing right from which dress to which slippers to even which Pampers (monkey, tweety, Bow bow,… – for the uninitiated, each diaper has a different character printed on it) she wants to wear! And it is she who decides which mode of transport we take! She has preferences on not just what she wants to wear, but even on what others wear. The latest condition is that her father has to wear a white shirt every time we go out!

P.S.: My husband is here in Madras on a vacation. So we go out often and my daughter simply refuses to come back home once we step out of the house!

1. Practice waking up by 5 45-6 am, come what may!
2. Devote an hour in the night everyday, irrespective of when the daughter sleeps, to study. Yes, study. I have joined an online Masters degree course. Finally. It has just started and at the end of more than two weeks now, the progress so far hasn’t been good.
3. Get started on playing the guitar again. It has been a long, long time since I played it. It’s going to be like starting afresh again.
4. Continue the daily walk and exercise routine and try to squeeze in some time for doing Surya namaskaram in the morning.
5. Cut down on sweets and chocolates.

I will tell you how successful I have been in meeting the goals in a few weeks’ time.

Rang De Basanti, traffic-free roads at 6 30 in the morning, empty cubicles and perfect work atmosphere, Pacchai Nirame, a blog post after ages – what more can I ask for? Good Morning, folks!